Tropical Storm Andrea closed local waters Thursday as she made her way through Florida’s Big Bend area.
The first-named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season made landfall at 5:40 p.m. EDT about 10 miles south of Steinhatcheewith maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. Andrea was moving northeast at about 17 mph.
Tropical storm warnings were in effect for Florida’s west coast from Boca Grande the Oklockonee River and for the east coast from Flagler Beach to Cape Charles Light in Virginia.
Forecasters said Andrea could cause isolated flooding and damage from storm surges before it winds down in the next two days.
Gov. Rick Scott said one of the biggest risks associated was the chance for tornadoes. Eight tornadoes had been confirmed across the state Thursday.
Rip currents and high surf made for a dangerous Gulf of Mexico along the Emerald Coast. Double-red flags flew at Navarre Beach, Okaloosa Island, Destin and South Walton County.
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Still, quite a few surfers took advantage of the high waves, said James Stultz, senior lifeguard for Okaloosa County Beach Safety.
Lifeguards spent the day trying to educate beachgoers on the meanings of the flags and the potential hazards.
“We’ve gone to the nth degree to make sure people are safe,” Stultz said.
As of Thursday evening, there were no reports of swimmers being rescued.
Local surf conditions and beach warning flags will be reassessed this morning.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
CHECK THE FLAGS: For Okaloosa County, visit the Okaloosa County Beach Safety Facebook page. For Walton County, visit www.swfd.org/beach.php. For Santa Rosa County, visit www.santarosa.fl.gov.