By MADDY VITALE and TIM KELLY
A coastal storm Friday, on the ninth anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, brought nothing more in Ocean City than minor flooding and strong wind gusts.
“The Coastal Flood Warning continues until 9 p.m., but the city has not yet received reports of any significant damage,” Ocean City Public Information Officer Doug Bergen said in the afternoon Friday.
He noted that the water level was much lower than had been predicted.
“The water level at the Bayside Center appears to have topped out at 6.13 feet on the mean low water scale at 3:36 p.m.,” Bergen said.
He added, “Even though onshore winds have been gusting beyond 40 mph since 9 a.m. with a gust of 59 mph at about 4 p.m., we are fortunate that tide levels did not approach the National Weather Service prediction of 6.5 feet MLW (mean low water).”
Still, there was minor flooding in some areas, including major intersections along Bay Avenue closer to the ocean shortly after the 3:03 p.m. high tide.
The water on Third Street between Corinthian Avenue and the beach began to overwhelm the storm drains.
Some people didn’t mind the weather. They continued on with their outdoor work, exercise routines and walks along the beach.
Bill Henry, of Ocean City, was one of those people. He went out to check out the waves.
While Henry looked at the ocean and walked along the beach, one jogger on the Boardwalk braced himself from the wind gusts as he continued on.
A flag on the Boardwalk appeared tattered from the strong winds.
But while the residents and visitors had to deal with some nuisance flooding and winds, it was nothing like Superstorm Sandy.
Mayor Jay Gillian remarked about the Oct. 29, 2012, storm that wreaked havoc on Ocean City and other coastal towns.
“Today is the ninth anniversary of the day Superstorm Sandy hit Ocean City, and coastal flood warnings remain in effect through 9 p.m. (Friday night) as a strong nor’easter passes through the region,” he said in a statement.
Gillian continued, “Storms like today’s are a reminder that while we have come far in our flood mitigation efforts, we still have a long way to go. I can assure you that the city remains committed to addressing flooding issues in every part of town.”
