High winds rip hole in Ocean City hotel

Winds whipped the Delmarva coast so hard Friday that they tore a hole in an Ocean City hotel. 

The Days Inn Ocean City Oceanfront on Baltimore Avenue near 23rd Street had noticeable damage Friday afternoon, with a gaping hole exposing the inside stairwell.

"It's not just siding," said Tom Hughes, senior building inspector for the town of Ocean City. "There was some steel that got knocked away, too."

The streets and Boardwalk area around the hotel were closed Friday, and Hughes said crews would be at the hotel all night to ensure its safety as well as the safety of others.

While the winds were forecasted to die down early Saturday, the nor'easter that created another "bomb cyclone" is not done yet. The weekend could see coastal flooding but at least it will be sunny. 

"This 'bomb cyclone' wind field is larger than most Category 1 hurricanes, with winds to match," Meteorologist Ryan Maue of weather.us told USA Today.

This is the most powerful storm to hit the East Coast since the bomb cyclone in January, according to AccuWeather.

According to the National Weather Service, wind speeds Friday topped 61 mph in Salisbury, 58 in Ocean City, 64 mph in Accomack County and 63 mph in Northampton County.

From 7 a.m. Saturday to 5 p.m. Sunday, Worcester County and Virginia are under a coastal flood warning. Tides are expected to be 2 to 3 feet above normal, according to the National Weather Service.

"There is the possibility of flooding up on the Atlantic side due to the large waves coming in," said Alec Butner, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wakefield, Virginia. "Waves will build to be 8-10 feet Friday night, 9-11 feet Saturday and 10-12 feet Sunday."

With the large waves, there was the possibility of damage to dunes, the weather service said.

Delmarva continued to be under a high wind warning until 6 a.m. Saturday, and winds Friday were reported to be in the 60 mph range.

Gusts on Friday were forecasted to be in the 60-70 mph range, particularly by the ocean, Butner said.

The wind will continue Saturday and Sunday, he said, but it will not be as breezy.

According to the weather service, winds Saturday are expected to be in the mid 20 to low 30 mph range, with gusts in the low 40 mph range.

The weekend looks sunny for the peninsula, according to the weather service. Highs are expected to be in the mid-to-upper 40s Saturday and Sunday.

This weather is being caused by a very strong low pressure system to the north of the peninsula, Butner said, with strong pressure rapidly intensifying.

The system is moving off to sea, he said, where it will linger.

Delaware is also under a coastal flood warning until 2 a.m. Sunday. Surges could reach up to 1 foot Friday and another 2½ to 3 feet Saturday.

At sea, there is a storm warning, with wind speeds expected to be between 28 and 40 mph, increasing to 34 to 46 mph with gusts as high as 69 mph.

The National Weather Service predicted waves could reach up to 12 feet Saturday. Erosion is expected.

Along the Chesapeake Bay, waves were expected to be 5 feet Friday, according to the weather service, with winds between 40 and 46 mph and gusts as high as 69 mph.

READ MORE: Search at Assateague plane crash site suspended due to weather

Saturday, the bay will still be rough with waves expected to reach 4 feet and winds between 28 and 34 mph, dropping to 23 mph during the day.

A system like this one is not uncommon during this time of year, Butner said.

"It is a pretty powerful system," he said. "But nor'easters aren't that uncommon."

The search for a downed plane off Assateague Island has been halted due to high winds. Dive teams at the site were successful in recovering a body at about 5 p.m. Thursday, but then suspended the search for another body at 6 p.m., according to Maryland State Police.

With the high winds, Ocean City urged visitors and residents to use caution.

“These forecasted wind gusts are very serious,” said Ocean City Emergency Services Director Joseph Theobald in a release. “Residents and visitors should consider keeping devices fully charged, before the wind starts blowing, in case the power goes. If at all possible, it is encouraged to stay inside during the height of the storm. These wind speeds have the potential of creating hazardous conditions for travel and being outdoors starting today.”

Tidal flooding, too, is possible for the remainder of the weekend, the release said.

Ocean City urged visitors and residents to take the following precautions to stay safe:

• Make sure pets are not left outside during the storm.
• Avoid traveling and let family and friends know destination, route and expected arrival time if the need to travel arises.
• Be prepared to contact the electrical supplier if the power goes out.
• Check on relatives, neighbors and friends who might have been affected by the power outage.
• If a generator needs to be used, follow all safety recommendations and never run the generator inside a building or near windows or vents.

In Virginia, A&N Electric Cooperative reported Friday night  that as of 7 p.m. the number of members without power was at just over 900. The majority of outages were located in northern Accomack County, the cooperative said, with scattered outages in central Accomack and in Northampton County.

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Members who have reported a power outage previously but have not seen power restored are asked to report the outage again using their SmarHub app or by calling 1-800-431-2632.

A&N urged people to stay away from downed power lines and to consider all lines and tree limbs in contact with the lines energized.

READ MORE: Storm may bring damaging winds, rain to Delmarva starting Thursday night

As of 4 p.m. Friday, Delmarva Power said, about 45,00 customers remained without service, and power had been restored to about 18,000 customers.

Power outages in Maryland can be monitored by visiting mema.maryland.gov/pages/poweroutagesdata.aspx.

The Cape May-Lewes Ferry canceled all trips for the remainder of Friday.

Accomack County Schools dismissed three hours early Friday, and all after-school activities were canceled.

Due to a power outage, Northampton Middle and Northampton High school dismissed students at 11 a.m.

Information from USA Today and The News Journal was used in this report.

On Twitter @hughesg19