Central Florida beach officials prepare for impact of Tropical Storm Isaias
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The beaches could be seeing the biggest impact from Tropical Storm Isaias, which could impact the coast of Florida this weekend.
Beach officials in Daytona Beach told FOX 35 that they are all hands on deck. More than 200 lifeguards and employees are on standby if the Emergency Operations Center is activated.
Regulars at the beach are soaking up the last bit of sun before the weekend. One of them said that they were "glad we came today. We wouldn’t be coming later in the week."
Volusia County Beach Safety is kicking things into gear, securing the non-essential beach equipment starting Thursday. They are holding off on lifeguard stands and traffic signs until they have a better handle on the track of the storm.
Volusia County Beach Safety Captain Tammy Malphurs said that "there’s a lot of essential assets that we do need out there for the next couple of days and we’re really good about securing those things probably within about an eight-hour period."
They expect to see are high tides, rough waters, and possibly rip currents. Capt. Malphurs warns that "the most dangerous part is when that storm passes and it looks a little bit safer out there. We have all those holes in the sand bar and those do create very hazardous rip current conditions."
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Beach officials are warning folks to stay away from the water this weekend, citing that "we will be flying the red flag throughout the weekend. Now is not the time to come down and try to learn how to surf or paddle."
However, Floridians tell FOX 35 that they are not worried. They say they know the drill by now, claiming that "we’ve been through a lot bigger storms than that."
Beachgoers on Thursday said that earlier in the day, the water was calm but the winds picked up in the afternoon. The wind is expected to pick up more over the next 24 to 48 hours.
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