Innovative Red Tide bad air forecast tool working well, but info can be hard to find

An experimental program to offer beachgoers a forecast of how bad the air will be from Red Tide algae toxins has been up and running in Pinellas County for a month now.

Known as the Experimental Red Tide Respiratory Tool, the program seems to be working well so far, according to the county's top environmental official.

The tool "predicts risk levels for respiratory irritation from Red Tide along Pinellas County beaches," the county's web site says. "It is available Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Click on your favorite beach and you will see a forecast every 3 hours."

However, some users are still having problems with it.

The most serious problem: locating the program, which is available from a link on the county's web site.

"When people find it, they love it," Kelli Hammer Levy, Pinellas County's environmental management director, said Monday.

Link to Tool: https://habscope.gcoos.org/forecasts