STUART, Fla. — As Tropical Storm Imelda makes its way towards the Bahamas, residents on the Treasure Coast are staying cautious about any impacts from the storm.
They say their biggest concern is what the system could bring to local beaches.
On Saturday, the scene in Martin County was still calm, sun, sand and waves, but beachgoers admitted they were keeping a close eye on the forecast as the storm moves to Florida’s east coast.
“You can see the water; it looks calm now, but it can change in a minute,” Mike Silverman said. "I’d rather err on the side of caution."
WATCH: Treasure Coast residents keeping eye on the tropics
Along the coast, some homeowners say they’ve already started preparing.
“We’re ready, we’re always ready,” one resident said. “I have my shutters already; they’re not up yet, but we’ll see what happens.”
While Florida is not projected to take a direct hit, the storm could bring heavy rainfall, dangerous rip currents, and waves up to 11 feet.
From the beach to downtown Stuart, it was business as usual on Saturday. Still, many said they weren’t taking the watch lightly.
“We got the notifications on the phone, and we’ve got water at the house, plenty of canned goods, it should be OK," a longtime resident said. “Other than that, we’ll ride out the storm like we always do.”
Lifeguards say they’re monitoring beach conditions closely and could apply restrictions for swimmers if the surf becomes too dangerous.
