Spring Break 2020 AKA Spring Broke

Since the pollen started a month early, does that mean that it will end a month early?

Since the pollen started a month early, does that mean that it will end a month early?

Good question! I guess is it depends on if our entire season has shifted or if it's a blip. Our weather the last 4 or 5 years reminds me of Miami!

Welcome to tropical Northwest Florida!

:hammock:

March 9th - 13th for UGA

As students from universities around the country flock to the Emerald Coast, sheriff’s offices in Okaloosa and Walton counties say they will continue to crack down on underage drinking during spring break.

Both agencies enforce a strict no tolerance policy for underage drinking.

If an underage person is caught with alcohol, it is a second-degree misdemeanor and a mandatory trip to the county jail, said Sgt. Brian Parkton with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office’s Special Operations division.

Okaloosa will have two booking vans strategically placed in Destin to take a larger number of people to the jail in Crestview.

Walton will have an Incident Command Bus stationed near the Whale’s Tale at Seascape to take people to the jail in DeFuniak Springs.

Both offices have added patrols to the beaches. Walton County has offered off-duty and extra-duty shifts to deputies, Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Corey Dobdridnia said.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office will increase patrols on Okaloosa Island and in Destin, Parkton said. He said there will be a total of six spring break beach patrol deputies.

The number of spring break-related arrests in Walton County was in the 300s in 2019, which was much lower than previous years, Dobridnia said.

Last year, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office had 677 arrests, of which 650 were for underage drinking, an increase from 2018.

While Dodridnia said she will not post student arrests on social media, she plans to track the number of arrests by university. She said in years past, when the schools see those reports, they are more likely to take action.

Safety is the main priority for both sheriff’s offices.

“We just want them to be safe and treat our home like their home,” Dobridnia said.

Parkton said the Okaloosa Sheriff’s Office has handed out literature to condos and hotels about safety protocols on the beach.

Nicole Wagner, spokeswoman for Emerald Coast Crime Stoppers, said the Sheriff’s Office wants spring breakers to be aware of the beach warning flags. She said it is important that students know to stay out of the water when red flags are flying.

“We want them to come here and have fun, but we also want them to be safe,” Wagner said.

Spring break festivities started Saturday and will continue until mid-April.

In case anyone is wondering, SoWal is very crowded with spring breakers this week.

Spring break crowd in Grayton this week has been some of the nicest visitors we've had in a while, in my opinion. Good bunch of kids so far.

Spring break crowd in Grayton this week has been some of the nicest visitors we've had in a while, in my opinion. Good bunch of kids so far.

We're lucky to be pretty tame here most of the time still, east of Miramar Beach. Atlanta week is different. It gets crazy. And it is kids that aren't in college yet that are the problem.

Feels weird to post on this thread. For posterity, Spring Break ended prematurely this past Saturday. Almost everyone went home and hardly any arrived. Beaches are closed, water is closed, most businesses are closed.

Today at Pompano Joes in Miramar Beach, normally a hot spot...

Today begins Atlanta Spring Break week. Usually the 2nd busiest week of the year, behind July 4th week. For those complaining about the beaches being closed, discouraging travel here is the reason. I wonder how many will show up here today because they own a home here or couldn't ow wouldn't cancel or move their reservation. How many will show up not knowing the beaches are closed? How many will show up at the Red Bar tonight expecting to get in line? Thanks to SoWal and Visit South Walton, probably not many. Good job getting the word out and protecting our community!

Today begins Atlanta Spring Break week. Usually the 2nd busiest week of the year, behind July 4th week. For those complaining about the beaches being closed, discouraging travel here is the reason. I wonder how many will show up here today because they own a home here or couldn't ow wouldn't cancel or move their reservation. How many will show up not knowing the beaches are closed? How many will show up at the Red Bar tonight expecting to get in line? Thanks to SoWal and Visit South Walton, probably not many. Good job getting the word out and protecting our community!

Hopefully none at all. All vacation rentals have been cancelled and all beaches public and private are now closed. If they own a home here, they are within their rights to come here, but they'd have to know that everything is shut down.

Hopefully none at all. All vacation rentals have been cancelled and all beaches public and private are now closed. If they own a home here, they are within their rights to come here, but they'd have to know that everything is shut down.

Looks like I was wrong. Rode through Seaside/Watercolor yesterday and it was like a ghost town; very different story today. Saw several 360 Blue vans outside houses in Watercolor with people arriving. I thought vacation rentals had been cancelled? Either way, there are clearly more people here than yesterday. Hard to believe in these current circumstances.

'Our' rental agency has had this at the top of the rental pages. Ellen

Turn them in. Will have to research and find the link but there is a place you can report any new arrivals and the companies checking them in. If anyone can find it faster that would be great!

Executive Order 20-87: Emergency Management – COVID-19 – Vacation Rental Closures
Executive Order 20-87 orders all parties engaged in rental of vacation rental properties to suspend vacation rental operations. Vacation rentals are prohibited from making new reservations or bookings and shall not accept new guests for check-in for the duration of the order. If you believe any licensee is operating contrary to the Governor’s Executive Order 20-87, please report the information here.

Turn them in. Will have to research and find the link but there is a place you can report any new arrivals and the companies checking them in. If anyone can find it faster that would be great!

Nope. No new reservations for 2 weeks. Rental companies were not forced to cancel any existing reservations.

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'Our' rental agency has had this at the top of the rental pages. Ellen

The notice is correct. No new reservations for 2 weeks booked for arrival before April 11. Existing reservations not included. And new reservations can be made for arrival after April 11.

The notice is correct. No new reservations for 2 weeks booked for arrival before April 11. Existing reservations not included. And new reservations can be made for arrival after April 11.

It’s hard to believe that with De Santis having now issued a statewide stay at home order, that he’s going to allow vacation rentals to resume next week.

The notice is correct. No new reservations for 2 weeks booked for arrival before April 11. Existing reservations not included. And new reservations can be made for arrival after April 11.

NO.. the order says it doesnt apply to rentals checking in no later than March 28th. So if they are checking in AFTER that date they are in violation of the EO.

It says right there in that post of mine they are not to accept new guests for check-in for the duration of the order. TURN THEM IN!

Owners are allowed in town...

NO.. the order says it doesnt apply to rentals checking in no later than March 28th. So if they are checking in AFTER that date they are in violation of the EO.

It is confusing and I believe you are reading it wrong. No new guests means no new arrivals for new reservations made between the time of the order and April 11. No new guests doesn't mean no checkins.

I am pretty sure that "shall not accept new guests for check-in" means exactly what it says....doesnt matter when they made the reservation.

It is confusing and I believe you are reading it wrong. No new guests means no new arrivals for new reservations made between the time of the order and April 11. No new guests doesn't mean no checkins.

This is incorrect. The order explicitly states that no new guests should be checked in for the duration of the order, which, given the developments since it was issued, you would have to assume will now be extended beyond April 10th.