Hurricane José brings flooding to Delaware

The Delmarva Peninsula endured punishing waves and a storm surge from Hurricane José Tuesday even as the system was hundreds of miles offshore, plowing northward through the Atlantic Ocean. 

Storm watchers flocked to Delaware and Maryland beaches to see 12-foot waves crash ashore and reach protective dunes that separate the ocean from the land.  

Ted Gross, 59, of Baltimore, was visiting Ocean City, Maryland, while the system passed a few hundred miles offshore. His smile stretched ear-to-ear as the weather whipped the sandy shores.

“We’re down here for a few days and there just so happens to be a hurricane off the coast – what better chance to see something like this,” he said.

Despite jovial moods of onlookers, the big waves threatened the area's multimillion-dollar protective dunes. 

During the morning, swells combined with a high storm tide – which is the combined height of a daily astronomical tide and a storm surge – to break through a protective dune south of Dewey Beach, flooding Del. 1. 

As a result, the primary coastal artery closed at about 8 a.m. between Dewey and Bethany beaches. 

By noon, southbound lanes and one northbound lane reopened as José continued to swirl to the southeast, traveling north at 9 mph.

National Weather Service meteorologist Lance Franck said the area was vulnerable to moderate flooding during the next high tide at 8 p.m. due to the "compromised" dunes in the area of Delaware Seashore State Park.

The daily astronomical high tide of about 5 feet, combined with a storm surge of 2 to 2.5 feet and seas as high as 14 feet, could cause "widespread roadway flooding and minor property damage," he said. 

“This evening is more concerning," said Franck, who is based in Mt. Holly, New Jersey. "With the issue of the high surf pounding the coast and the beach erosion and the potential for dune breach; that can certainly aggravate the flooding in areas where we might not expect.”

By midday, flooding from ocean water flowing through the breach in the dune had been closed off, said Michael Globetti, spokesman for the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

DNREC "is working with available sand onsite to create two lines of dune ridges to prevent overwash getting through from the next high tide – the goal is to close the breach through the night until weather conditions calm down before attempting to fully repair the breach," Globetti said in an email. 

At presstime, it was unclear whether the temporary plug will hold. 

A coastal flood warning was in effect for Dewey Beach until 1 a.m. Wednesday, the Dewey Beach Police Department announced.

A soggy morning

On the boardwalk in Bethany Beach Tuesday, dozens gathered to see the towering waves crash onto what little was left of the beach.

Donning neon yellow reflective gear and clutching his bicycle as the wind whipped sand and seafoam down the boardwalk, Robert Buckley, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, took a moment to pause from his daily bike ride.

Buckley said he has been vacationing in Bethany for the last 20 years, and although the waves might seem daunting, he has seen worse.

“I’ve been here through a couple nor’easters, this is not totally scary,” he said, watching the waves crash a few yards from the steps leading to the beach. “I think this is probably the worst we’ll get out of this storm.”

“This is nothing compared to what they experienced in Florida,” he said.

As the waves continued to pound the beach and the wind picked up through the day, curious beachgoers echoed a similar sentiment.

“We’re fortunate here because it’s horrible where (Hurricane) Irma actually hit,” said Tabitha McCray, a lifelong resident of Bethany. “It’s nice to come out here and count our blessings and enjoy this.”

But McCray said while glancing at the small group of people walking along the beach, people should be cautious.

“It’s a little dangerous,” she said.

Franck, the meteorologist, said storm-caused rip currents were "life-threatening" and people should stay out of the water.  

Farther down Bethany Beach, resident Gary Cornwall stood ankle-deep in the rough water.

“It’s pretty spectacular,” he said, turning to the surf, grinning and holding on to the brim of his hat as the wind charged on. “Look at this in all its majesty — it’s energy released, we’re right up close to it. ... It’s extraordinary to just watch this happen.”

Standing on the edge of the steps above the beach, Hope Orhelein, of Bethany, pushed her hair out of her face and focused her camera on the strong surf.

Orhelein said she owns an art gallery downtown and came out to snap some photographs of the storm’s impact.

Surveying the scene, she explained why she’s not worried.

“As long as there are retired people going to church every Sunday and praying the storm away, we’ll be OK,” Orhelein said.

In downtown Ocean City, officials closed the inlet parking lot Tuesday morning as waves flooded the beach and water crept toward the lot.

A few gathered to take photos and videos as the sea continually smashed the rocks, flowing over as the tents still lingered from the past weekend’s events.

Ocean City local Nick Gunther hasn’t seen waves this big in a long time, he said. The 23-year-old has spent most of his life in the town, which is frequently visited by gusting winds and nor’easters.

“They’re big, really big,” he said.

Others took to the pier that stretches into the ocean, using the elevation to view Hurricane José’s power.

As skies grew darker, 10- to 15-foot waves began shoving into the pier as the wind gusts picked up.

Stacey Wiltrout, of Boonsboro, Maryland, said it was the first time she’s been to the Maryland resort during a storm.

She came to the inlet area to see what it was like, and it took her a little by surprise.

“It’s exciting,” she said. “It’s different than the average beach trip so it’s fun.”

Drivers near the beaches should use caution on all roads and should not drive through standing water, according to authorities. If you see a flooded roadway ahead, turn around and take an alternate route. 

To report travel or traffic-related issues, Delawareans should dial #77 from any cell phone in Delaware, (302) 659-4600 or 1-800-324-8379.  For emergencies, dial 911.

The marine forecast

José, at 2 p.m. Tuesday, moved northward at 7 mph, producing maximum sustained winds of 75 mph around its eye, according to the National Hurricane Center. A tropical storm warning is in effect for Cape Cod, Massachusetts at 2 p.m. Wednesday.  

Tuesday's offshore marine forecast for waters that lie about a hundred miles east of the Delaware Beaches call for north winds of 40 to 50 mph and waves reaching 23 feet, according to the National Weather Service.   

Offshore winds will diminish into Wednesday, with waves decreasing by Wednesday night to between 4 and 8 feet.

Winds at the Delaware coastline gusted to 50 mph Tuesday afternoon, with seas reaching 14 feet, according to the National Weather Service.

A small-craft advisory was in effect for Delaware Bay. Winds at the coast also were forecast to diminish by Wednesday night, when an east swell would bring waves of 4 to 6 feet.    

The breach in the dune at the Delaware Seashore State Park is another scar on the state's coastline, which also was battered by storms in 2016.

One storm, which ripped across the coast in January of that year, flattened numerous stretches of Delaware's sand-enriched dunes from Lewes to Fenwick Island. 

Those dunes create a protective wall between the groundswells and wind waves of the Atlantic Ocean and development in Delmarva beach communities, which have experienced massive population growth during the past decade.  

The state and federal governments have invested more than $100 million over the last 15 years to pump sand onto Delaware's ocean beaches and build manmade dunes. 

Contact Karl Baker at kbaker@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2329. Follow him on Twitter @kbaker6.