FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Green flags lined Fort Lauderdale Beach on Sunday, signaling calm conditions. But as Hurricane Erin approaches, officials say things could change in the coming days.
It was a picture-perfect Sunday at the beach, and Ana Camargo was grilling food for the whole family.
“I’m cooking chicken, yellow plantain and beef and today is a beautiful day,” she said.
For many beachgoers, it was the best way to end the weekend.
“Nice weather. Ocean was good. Water was kind of hot but it was nice,” one beach visitor added.
But that same water could pose a threat later this week as Hurricane Erin makes its way across the Atlantic Ocean.
As of Sunday evening, the National Hurricane Center just a moderate rip current risk for parts of South Florida, but within 24 hours, that risk is expected to increase.
The good news is that in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, the risk remained low for the time being, thanks in part to the Bahamas acting as a buffer.
Erin’s current track shows it likely won’t hit the United States mainland, but as the powerful storm moves closer, wave heights are expected to increase throughout the week — raising the risk for swimmers.
Even without a hurricane off Florida’s coast, this summer has already proven deadly. Two men drowned in separate incidents in June, and a young boy drowned two months earlier.
Visitors say they’re hoping the waters remain calm despite Erin looming.
“It feels good out here, man. It’s a beautiful day and it’s a beautiful beach,” one said.
That beautiful day turned into a beautiful evening as well. Lifeguards say even on green flag days, they remain on alert.
Copyright 2025 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.
