1 p.m. Friday afternoon update: Heavy wind continues in Ocean City, Maryland, but only light rain at this time.
Heavy wind (gusts to 55 or 60 mph), rain and wave action continued through the night along the Maryland coast. As of late morning Friday, it appears that the Nor’easter has peaked here, but heavy weather will continue in Ocean City, Maryland, throughout the day Friday and into the night.
Winds and rain will be marginally less intense than Thursday. North-Northeast winds 20-30 mph today in Ocean City, with gusts to 36 mph. Rain all day and into the evening, at least. Waves 18 feet high still pounding the beach, possibly higher waves at times. High temperature Friday, 58.
Coastal flooding remains a concern, especially around high tide. We had a high tide before dawn, about 4:20 a.m. Our next high tide in Ocean City is about 4:35 p.m.; the most critical times are from two hours before high tide to two or more hours after. Water could be two to four feet above normal high tide. I believe coastal flooding at high tide today will be about the same as yesterday.
Roadside drainage ditches in West Ocean City were filled to overflowing early Friday morning. Water level in the ditches has gone down only a little by 11:15 a.m. There’s no place for the water to drain.
I have no idea how badly the Ocean City Beach has been eroded. I’ll try to drive north along the barrier island early this afternoon. Hope to take pictures.
I’m sure beach erosion here in Ocean City is not nearly as bad as in North Carolina and Virginia Beach. Very heavy beach erosion has been reported along the North Carolina coast and in Virginia Beach.
Rodney the lifeguard, please call home, ASAP. We might need your magical powers to help in the storm cleanup. Fortunately, no need for your lifesaving skills. Is there anything you could do to speed up those repairs on the Route 90 bridge? (Folks, note that the Route 90 bridge was not damaged by the storm; it had been closed for repairs weeks ago.)
North Carolina beaches and Virginia Beach were hit the hardest by the storm. They had eight to 13 inches of rain total throughout the three-day storm, and still counting. Peak winds were 70 to 75 mph in the area of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, which connects Tidewater Virginia to the Delmarva peninsula.
The NC coast and Virginia Beach are continuing to experience high winds and damaging surf this morning, even though the worst of the storm has moved north of them. Therefore, I think we can expect winds and high surf to continue in Ocean City through Saturday and into Sunday, even as the rain abates.
I think the Delaware beaches have experienced about the same storm conditions as here in Ocean City. Friday and Saturday, it’s New Jersey’s turn at the Nor’easter. They are worried about beach erosion there, but I think the force of the storm will be much less in NJ than in NC, Virginia, or even Ocean City.
A great source for up-to-date storm reports is the Weather Channel.
– John Hayden
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