Hawaii County Civil Defense officials say Big Island residents should be preparing now for Tropical Storm Felicia’s arrival Monday.

Felicia, with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph and higher gusts, was less than 600 miles east of Hilo and moving west this morning.

The agency issued a warning today saying resident should “take steps now to mitigate the effects of flooding to your property.”

“Wind speeds are also expected to increase on Monday. As a precaution take steps now to secure loose objects outside your home,” this morning’s warning said. “Wave heights are forecasted to increase on our eastern shores to heights of 15 feet or greater today. As a precaution all county beach parks between Whittington Beach Park in Ka’u and Laupahoehoe Beach Park in Hamakua will be closed from 2:30 this afternoon through Wednesday morning. Hookena Beach Park in South Kona is included in these closures. Residents of coastal areas should be on the alert for sudden increases in surf heights.

“As with all storms, be prepared for road closures and power outages,” the warning said.