DELMARVA — A powerful coastal storm is hitting the Delmarva Peninsula this weekend, expected to bring high winds, heavy rain, and widespread flooding to beach towns from Lewes to Bethany Beach.
In Lewes, people who live near the beach are being asked to act quickly. The city is reminding locals to remove all personal items from the beach and dunes before the storm arrives. Chairs, dock boxes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, boats and similar items must be cleared out by Oct. 13. However, the city strongly recommends removing them earlier due to the forecasted weather conditions.
In Milford, sandbags were made available to the public ahead of the storm at the Public Works building on Vickers Drive. However, as of Saturday, all sandbags have been claimed. The city announced that more will be made available Monday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The city of Milford was giving out sandbags ahead of the storm.
“We kindly ask that each household takes a maximum of 10 bags to ensure supplies are available for everyone,” city staff wrote in an online notice.
Bethany Beach is preparing for what officials say could be a "significant coastal storm," expected to affect the area Sunday, Oct. 12 through Monday, Oct. 13. The worst flooding is expected in low-lying neighborhoods north of Garfield Parkway and State Route 26.
Bethany Beach Police shared this map, warning those who live in the purple area to expect the worst flooding.
The Bethany Beach Police Department says it will conduct door-to-door notifications in areas most likely to be impacted. The town is urging both locals and visitors to stay away from the coast unless absolutely necessary.
“Residents and visitors are strongly advised to avoid coastal areas during the storm period,” town officials said in a statement. “Those living in low-lying or flood-prone areas should monitor official news sources and social media for potential evacuation orders or emergency announcements.”
On Saturday night, Ocean City issued a warning, expecting one to two feet of street flooding in areas such as
Downtown from the Inlet to 15th Street
Isle of Wight Mobile Home Park
Warrens Park
Little Salisbury
Several northern bayside neighborhoods
The base of the Route 50 Bridge may become impassable during periods of high tide. Officials caution that flooded roadways, strong winds, and localized power outages are likely.
The storm comes during a season where astronomical tides are already elevated, further complicating the flood risk.
High waves in Rehoboth Beach seen Sunday morning, October 12.
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