What caused a new inlet 'beach' to form in Ocean City?

Normally, the jetty at the Ocean City inlet is pounded by waves.

But those visiting the inlet over the past couple days noticed something different: a sandbar next to the jetty, rendering the jetty dry and forming a mini beach.

"It's not that the water is low but that sand has accumulated on the south side of the jetty," said Terry McGean, Ocean City town engineer.

This is a natural phenomenon, McGean said. Typically, sand migrates from north to south due to the prevailing wind and currents.

The jetty acts to block that movement, trapping sand on the updrift on the north side, which is what makes the inlet beach so wide.

However, the strong winds out of the west and southwest temporarily caused the sand movement to change, McGean said.

"At this point, I do not see any cause for concern, and, as in the past, I would expect the sandbar to go away on its own," he said. "(Department of Natural Resources) is regularly surveying the inlet. They will report any other significant changes."

But for some Ocean City visitors on Friday, it was a chance to set foot on the rarest of all beaches in town. 

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