Forecasters are predicting a coastal storm that could cause the worst flooding since 2012’s Superstorm Sandy.
Full-moon tides will coincide with the arrival of a strong nor’easter packing 60 mph winds and a mix of heavy snow and rain for Ocean City.
The National Weather Service issued a Coastal Flood Watch and a Winter Storm Watch for Ocean City starting Friday night and continuing through Sunday morning. Predictions for tidal surge suggest three progressively higher tides will affect Ocean City.
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High tides (at the Ninth Street Bridge on Ocean City’s flood-prone bay side) will be at the following times:
- 7:28 a.m. Saturday
- 7:54 p.m. Saturday
- 8:11 a.m. Sunday
The most recent National Weather Service forecast predicts a tide of 7.8 feet (on the mean low water scale) in Atlantic City on Sunday morning. By comparison, the recent flooding in early October 2015 reached 7.3 feet on the same scale, the November 2009 nor’easter 8.02 feet and Superstorm Sandy 10.02 feet. (See chart of sample flood levels through Ocean City history.)
Residents of low-lying streets should be prepared to move vehicles to higher ground. The storm is also expected to bring sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph with gusts exceeding 60 mph. The city is asking residents to secure all loose items outside their homes.
Some inland areas are expected to see more than a foot of snow, but the potential for warmer coastal temperatures and a mix of rain leave Ocean City with a prediction of 2 to 6 inches of accumulation.
The coastal storm could erode Ocean City’s newly replenished beaches at the north and south ends, though a touch-up project is still scheduled to take place at the south end starting later this winter. (See “Ocean City’s South End Beaches to Get a Do-Over.”)
See Thursday’s National Weather Service briefing on the weekend event below.
