Alabama's beach communities are getting ready for the upcoming July 4 holiday now that Tropical Storm Debby is bearing down on Florida.
Surf conditions already have improved enough for the cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach to reopen coastal waters to tourists.
Forecasters say waves should become calmer as the storm moves slowly along a line that the National Hurricane Center says will take Debby into the Florida peninsula.
At Gulf Shores, city spokesman Grant Brown says the upcoming weekend should be good on the Alabama coast ahead of the Fourth of July. Forecasts show mostly sunny days through the end of the week.
The Independence Day period is one of the year's busiest times for tourists along the coast.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)