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Beachgoers enjoy the sun while officials express concern ahead of Hurricane Dorian

Posted at 5:20 PM, Sep 02, 2019
and last updated 2019-09-02 17:41:13-04

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Enjoy the nice weather outside while you can - you won't be able to later this week. That's because Hurricane Dorian will be kicking it out in a few days.

Dorian is even kicking out a few tourists from the Oceanfront who were hoping to stay the week.

Vicki Wells and her family won't be spending the entire week in Virginia Beach like they had hoped.

"We’re talking about leaving Wednesday instead of Saturday because it says it’s going to be bad."

They arrived last Saturday and were hoping to leave this Saturday.

"We’re from a small town in North Carolina, so this is a lot different. We really enjoyed this; we love the beach," Wells explained.

Related: Gov. Northam issues state of emergency for Virginia ahead of Hurricane Dorian

Now, Wells and her family only have two days to enjoy the Oceanfront before the clouds and waves roll in.

Tom Gill and his team of roughly 80 lifeguards are keeping an eye on the storm. They’ve kept the red flags up since last week to warn people of the rough waves that he says will get rougher.

"As it’s starting to get close, I mean, the water conditions are going to become unswimmable and even unsurfable at times," says Gill. "When you see really huge conditions out there, it’s not the time to go to practice your surfing for the first time or test your skills as a water person."

Depending on the conditions, Gill says the beach could be closed entirely, but that’s up to the city manager to decide.

Gill strongly urges anyone visiting the beaches to be aware of any warnings posted and listen to any urgent messages from lifeguards.

Click here for more Dorian coverage.

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