Lifeguards on Jacksonville Beach watching Hurricane Irma closely

Jacksonville Beach lifeguards are watching Hurricane Irma closely, and are ready to make staffing changes as needed.

This is the time of year Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue begins to decrease its staff. But depending on what Irma does, it may be all hands on deck.

An Action News Jax camera caught dolphins swimming on a picture-perfect Labor Day in Jacksonville Beach.

It's still too early to tell what next weekend will bring with Hurricane Irma, so droves of people took advantage of the beach Monday with Irma on their minds.

“[I’m] paying very close attention to Irma. [I’m] just really concerned about our friends here in Jacksonville, and also concerned about what's going to happen,” said beachgoer Leland Roane.

Jacksonville students Kaleigh Strassenberg and Evolyne Godwin are already preparing.

“Going grocery shopping and getting all the needs and stuff, charging up everything, like flashlights and stuff,” Strassenberg said.

“[And] getting all the little bit harmful things out of the yard,” Godwin added.

Max Ervanian said lifeguards with Ocean Rescue have their eyes on Irma as well, and are ready to make any changes needed.

“We're not going to necessarily get 45 lifeguards here on the beach for a system like that only because there's only so many guards that we have available at the time of the year, but we definitely do keep our eye and staff accordingly, per the ocean conditions, beach population and available staffing,” Ervanian said.

Cox Media Group