The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for Ocean City on Thursday morning (July 10) with little advance notice.
Within two hours, more than 3 inches of rain fell, leaving a scene of flooded streets more reminiscent of a nor’easter or hurricane than a summer thunderstorm.
The total rainfall for the morning storm topped 4 inches as reported from a gauge in Beesleys Point, across the bay from Ocean City.
The line of strong thunderstorms moved northeast at 30 mph across the region and hit coastal areas harder than many parts of the mainland. The flood warning was in effect through 1:15 p.m.
In Ocean City, the flooding buried cars on Simpson, Haven and West avenues and in bayside neighborhoods such as Merion Park. Traveling from the bayside to the beach was treacherous at most cross-streets on the island at mid-morning.
Kayakers paddled down the low-lying avenues, and pedestrians waded through thigh-deep water.
High tide had passed at about 7 a.m. at the Ninth Street Bridge, but drainage was still poor at a mid-tide. Low tide came at about 1 p.m. on the bayside.
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