Lifeguards and fire rescue crews in Hollywood Beach are on alert as red warning flags and safety signs go up, urging visitors to avoid the water altogether.

Erin’s surf and storm surge could cause erosion along sections of the Florida and East Coast and shapes up as potentially worse for North Carolina’s barrier islands, which are under mandatory evacuation orders ahead of the four feet of storm surge and 20-foot offshore waves Erin is expected to bring.

South Florida is not forecast to see direct impacts from Hurricane Erin, but rip currents and surf up to 6 feet, especially along Palm Beach, are likely.

Hurricane Erin weakened to a category 3 hurricane during the early hours of Aug. 19 as it moves closer to the East Coast, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The Atlantic basin includes the northern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of America, as the Gulf of Mexico is now known in the U.S. per an order from President Trump. NOAA and the National Hurricane Center are now using Gulf of America on its maps and in its advisories.

Hurricane watchers are eying systems in the Atlantic basin. One has a medium chance of developing later this week.

Hurricane Erin is expected to run parallel to the Eastern Seaboard, posing threats of life-threatening surf and dangerous rip currents to areas like New Jersey, New York and Long Island throughout the week. Florida’s small businesses are paying the price.