Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties will be under a flood watch from Monday night through Friday evening as an area of low pressure looms in the southwest Atlantic Ocean, possibly developing into a tropical storm or hurricane this week.

A National Weather Service alert, issued Sunday afternoon, warns of a likely onset of coastal flooding and beach erosion starting Tuesday across the Treasure Coast, in addition to Volusia and Brevard counties.

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There will be “numerous, strong and life-threatening rip currents with large breaking waves 6 to 7 feet through tonight, and 7 to 8 feet Monday,” the alert reads. Beachgoers are discouraged from going in the water for “the next several days.” 

The alert comes shortly after the National Hurricane Center warned of a system above Puerto Rico appearing to move northward or northwestward. The system could reach hurricane strength before it reaches the Bahamas and Florida’s east coast on Wednesday and Thursday.   

Treasure Coast emergency management officials said Sunday they were still monitoring the system and would be determining potential plans and precautions Monday, depending on how the system continues to develop.  

“Regardless of the exact track, widespread impacts from coastal flooding, tropical-storm-force winds, heavy rainfall, rough surf and beach erosion are likely” for Florida’s east coast this week, according to the National Hurricane Center.