Hermine didn't scare people away from Bethany Beach
Despite some damage to the beach itself, Hermine seems to have not done much to damage the spirits of visitors to Bethany Beach.
Sunday saw brisk wind and intermittent clouds, but the sun was out all day and people turned out in droves to do what people usually do on the beach.
During Saturday's storm, the waves came up to the foot of the access stairs at the dunes. By Sunday the surf line was still about 30 feet nearer the boardwalk than it had been before the storm.
Ben Weise of Howard County, Maryland, a lifeguard with the Bethany Beach Beach Patrol, said people were staying in the shallows and avoiding the rip current.
"People are being sensible," he said. "Obviously we can't restrain them, and a whistle is our only weapon, but we haven't had any problems."
Weise said he thought the town would be able to restore the beach to its former state by next season.
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Eric Efergan, owner of the Tropicana T-shirt and surf shop on the Boardwalk, said he wasn't disappointed with an expected downturn in business yesterday. He didn't really think people would brave the wind and rain, but he was open as usual nevertheless. The upside was that business on Sunday was completely normal.
Maureen's Ice Cream and Desserts, just off the boards on Garfield Parkway, actually saw a surge in business during the storm.
According to Megan Elois, "We did a lot better than we expected."
She said they opened at 10 a.m. on Saturday as usual, and saw little business until about 2 p.m. Suddenly they had a line out the door, which persisted until they closed early due to the weather at 5 p.m.
They were short-staffed because Elois wasn't expecting to be busy. Fellow employee Baylee Zlotkowski said people were out on the boards despite the weather, but the beaches were closed for safety. People were looking for something to do, she said. Sunday marked a return to normal levels of business.
PHOTOS: Tropical Storm Hermine at Bethany Beach
Richard Wagner of Sellersville, Pennsylvania, came down with his wife because of the weather. They were out on the boards in the storm Saturday and saw the waves overwhelming the beach. They enjoyed watching the storm, but preferred Sunday's more seasonable weather, he said. The Wagners have a house near Dagsboro where they plan to eventually live full-time, and the storm has not deterred them from that plan, he said.
George Sluzenski of Woodbridge, Virginia, was vacationing with his wife in Ocean City earlier in the week, then went to Bethany for the storm. He thought the change in weather Sunday was amazing.
"The only thing different about the beach today is there's less of it," Sluzenski joked.