As Covid norms are relaxed, the beaches in Florida are expected to be filled with hundreds of thousands of visitors, making 2022 the largest Spring Break ever. In the last two years the numbers had been abysmally low due to the pandemic with 1,500 in 2020 and about 65,000 in 2021. However, the Tampa Bay Times has estimated that the Sunshine State is expecting to host 570,000 visitors who will party on its beaches.

Friday was warm, while Saturday may see a few intermittent showers post noon. Sunday and Monday forecasts indicate that there would be fair weather. This year Spring Break started on Saturday March 12 and is is expected to continue till Sunday, March 20. Many schools in the state announced Spring Break at the same time. However, beaches in Miami saw crowds from Friday, itself.

As the partying has started, so have the overdoses. On Thursday as six students, five of whom belong to West Point overdosed as they had taken fentanyl laced cocaine at Wilton Manors, Florida.

Police and fire rescue officials at Fort Lauderdale, which is also called “Spring Break Central” told reporters that they were expecting crowds to soak in the sun and sand in never seen before numbers that would be more than double and might be triple of what was seen last year, according to a report in NBC Miami.

Fort Lauderdale Police Maj. Bill Schultz also said that the city has already seen several “early birds” and that they would see many more as the holidays continue.

ABC Tampa reported that businesses were preparing for a Spring Break season that would possibly shatter all earlier records. Travel experts said that there was a surge in travel and as Easter was later this year, the travel boom could continue into April.

Businesses are looking forward to the best ever Spring Break in 2022 while visitors have been waiting to enjoy the surf and the sand as well as family get togethers which took a back seat across the nation due to the long pandemic.