DARE COUNTY, N.C. — On the Outer Banks of North Carolina, locals and visitors woke up to a tropical storm warning Saturday morning.
“It was kind of a surprise," said Kitty Hawk resident Cruz Lancaster.
The tropical storm named Colin developed inland over northeastern South Carolina, near Myrtle Beach. The warning area is spread up to the Outer Banks into Sunday.
Vacationer Dana Wood said rain at Kitty Hawk didn’t stick around for too long.
“We haven’t had any trouble, we’ve been here since Wednesday morning. So, it didn’t cause us any problems," Wood added.
Surfers like Lancaster still had a good time, “It was pretty fun. There were some waves, a little bit."
Leaders with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) said they are closely monitoring Colin’s track. While they really don’t expect any major impacts along NC 12, NCDOT Spokesperson Tim Hass told 13News Now they are prepared.
“We’ve equipment staged in various places; Pea Island, Hatteras, on Ocracoke, we’ve got some extra here on Manteo, if we need it. We’ve got crews on standby, ready to go if they’re needed. But again, we’re not expecting a lot of impacts with this storm," said Hass.
There is potential for some downpours on the Outer Banks. However, even the National Hurricane Center forecasted rain and gusty winds likely staying offshore.
"As I read the forecast, it looks like this thing should be out of here by Sunday night and beautiful, warm beach weather for your Fourth of July activities," Hass added.
Up the coast, Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service Chief Tom Gill echoed minimal impact on Saturday. “So far, this year, we do have good water activity. Now, we’ve got this tropical storm coming up from the South, but we’re not seeing a whole lot of effects other than that at this point.”
But that could change at any moment. If so, Gill’s crews will put the red flags up. Overall, though, he said they enjoyed a beautiful breeze and a beautiful day on Saturday.
Gill also told 13News Now they added more staff along the Resort, Croatan and North End beaches this weekend. He said anywhere between 75 to 100 lifeguards are working during the day, through the Fourth of July.