VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – As Hurricane Erin passes through the Atlantic, beach safety teams along the Central Florida coast are waving red flags to warn of strong rip currents and rough surf. Some areas are expecting waves as high as 10 feet Wednesday.
The choppy water and large waves create hazardous conditions, with hidden rip currents posing a serious risk to swimmers. In Volusia County, waves are forecasted to reach 6 to 8 feet in several spots. Brevard County is seeing even bigger surf, with reports of 10-foot waves near Cape Canaveral.
Volusia’s coastline was busy as people ventured out despite the warnings. Surfers took advantage of the rare opportunity to catch big waves this time of year.
[RELATED: Central Florida forecast]
At Ponce Inlet, surfers like Issac Long welcomed the swell.
“If you live here, you know, especially in the summertime, we don’t get anything — it’s flat. So when these hurricanes come and thankfully they don’t hit us, they bring these giant waves,” Long said.
Despite the excitement, Volusia Beach Safety is cautioning beachgoers to be careful. The red flag is up, signaling dangerous water conditions.
Tammy Malphurs, Beach Safety Director, emphasized the risks.
“If you’re a novice swimmer, now is not the time to learn how to surf, so we ask you don’t come out here and learn how to surf on these waves,” she said.
Beach safety teams are fully staffed and monitoring the situation closely. They are also watching for possible beach erosion, but remain hopeful the tides will cooperate.
“Right now, we’re looking really good; we don’t have any major erosion. We had those high tide events where we had to stay closed longer,” Malphurs added.
The rough surf is expected to last several days, even as conditions gradually calm.
“You’ll see hundreds of people out here the next couple of days, just hopefully excited to get one good wave. That’s what you’re waiting for out here on the East Coast,” said Long.
Volusia County officials say their erosion control efforts, including berms and new dunes with vegetation, are working as intended. However, some conservation poles were lost, leading to temporary beach closures to vehicle traffic while replacements are installed.