People urged to stay out of water, be cautious on roads as Tropical Storm Colin arrives

ATLANTIC BEACH, Carteret County — Red flags, empty landscape and choppy waves were the scene at Atlantic Beach as Tropical Storm Colin made its way up the coast.

The storm, causing rough waves, is hitting the coast as red flags are flying high this holiday weekend.

Atlantic Beach Fire Department Captain Thomas Daly said with lots of tourists in town for the holiday, they have eight lifeguards on duty, but even with the extra protection on shore, Tropical Storm Colin is bringing a strong threat of rip currents. Daly recommends people to stay out of the water.

Related: Emerald Isle lifeguards issue swim warnings ahead of Tropical Storm Colin

Honestly, I’d stay out of the water and try to find some other activities to get involved in. There’s a lot of water out there, it’s made it pretty turbulent and just like any day, the rip currents are always a threat.

"We are pretty proactive, we like to mark our rip currents, we will put red flags on either side and our lifeguards are always using the chance to educate people and get them out of the rips," Daly said.

Related: Tropical Storm Colin forms off the South Carolina coast overnight

This is Atlantic Beach's first Hurricane season in their new Emergency Operations Center.

Captain Daly also recommends being careful over the weekend on the roads with possible flooding and debris.