Coastal swimming advisories lifted after Tropical Storm Debby

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — Beaches are now lifting the coastal swimming advisories that were put in place before Tropical Storm Debby.

Although it’s lifted in the majority of places, it’s still in place for two spots which are Caswell Beach in Brunswick County and Rodanthe in Dare County. They will continue to sample the water next week but as of now, they are not up to standards.

The main thing they are looking for is bacteria such as E. coli that can make people sick. Immunocompromised people are especially at risk.

“It’s a challenging issue when we have a large storm like this due to the heavy rainfall and runoff and on an individual basis, maybe a couple of things people could do would be to pick up their pet waste,” Section Chief of Shellfish Sanitation and Recreation Water Quality Section Shannon Jenkins said. “And secondly, maybe consider installing a rain card on their property, which would reduce the amount of storm water runoff that would make it into the water bodies.”

In some of the places, the bacteria can come from septic system failures and broken sewer lines.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WNCT.