LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. — At Benny's on the Beach in Lake Worth Beach, Palm Beach County residents watched as the storm rolled in on Saturday afternoon.
"I came out here to get some food and some drinks with my cousin and see the rain from the pier, honestly. That's why we came here," Brian Kiewicz said. "Tornado, hurricane conditions, honestly, like, I thought the pier was going to blow away."
The city of Lake Worth Beach closed the pier for the weekend, citing the inclement weather.
Heavy winds and large surf are also why lifeguards throughout Palm Beach County flew double red flags Saturday, closing the water to swimmers.
"I thought the waves were going to be surfable today because I have some friends down here, but it doesn't look like it's safe to even swim out there right now at all," Kiewicz said.
But windy and rainy conditions didn't stop locals from coming out to watch the waves. Many people watched from their cars.
"We just came from 10 miles away all along the ocean here," Jim Brehove said. "And we just got to see the ocean and see if we're the only ones out here."
"And I love looking at the palm trees wet and blowing around," Brehove's wife Ellen added.
Nicole Lachance, another resident, did the same.
"Just for the fun of it, you know, just taking a ride and check the place, you know, look at the waves," Lachance said.
Others found comfort in walking the coastline.
"It's a beautiful day, not for everybody, and the way I see it, but this is not going to be for always, so I love it," Rosa Osorio said. "I know some people don't really enjoy it. Sorry if you're a visitor, but at the end, it's not bad."
However, everyone planned to end the night the same way.
"We're going to go home and just relax," Jim Brehove said.
