DEWEY BEACH, Del. - The effects of the nor'easter over the weekend are still visible along the Delaware coast, with a lot of beach erosion and flooding in Dewey Beach.
Locals say the storm brought some of the worst conditions they have seen in years, with high water and strong waves causing damage to homes and changing portions of the shoreline.
Ellen Winkler, who has lived in Dewey Beach for 12 years, said the storm caused flooding and damage to her home.
"This is the worst one. We had damage from the floods to our porch right around the corner. We lost a refrigerator out here. The hot water heaters questionable. And we had damage into our home."
Winkler said the flooding became severe enough that leaving was the only option for her family.
"Going away was our only choice. I mean, we have a dog, Happy, who doesn't like the water in the first place and he couldn't go out to go to the bathroom because the floodwaters were so high."
The storm also caused noticeable changes along the beach, with waves moving sand and contributing to erosion along the shoreline.
Beau Severn, who has lived in the area on and off for several years, said the storm caught him off guard.
"It was pretty crazy and that was definitely one of the biggest storms I've witnessed here. Especially this time of year, this isn't a normal thing for September. It's usually more of a winter kind of storm," said Severn. "So we weren't really like prepared for it."
Severn said he is trying to keep the storm's impact in perspective.
"I think one thing to note is this is like, this is natural stuff, right? These storms happen. It's naturally caused. You know, this is just Mother Nature having our fun and got to stay positive."
The storm has moved on, but people are left to assess the damage and watch how the shoreline recovers.
CoastTV News reached out to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control about potential beach replenishment work but had not received a response yet.
