By MADDY VITALE
Hurricane Henri didn’t stop beachgoers, Boardwalk strollers or surfers from enjoying a day in Ocean City on Saturday, despite low-lying clouds, a sprinkling of rain and less than balmy temperatures.
Lifeguards allowed bathers to go in for a dip, albeit only up to the waist, because of swells and churned-up surf as the storm approached the coast.
“This storm is bringing with it strong swells. It is a more powerful storm and bringing a lot of water with it than others,” said veteran Ocean City lifeguard Tom Cusack, of Marmora.
Cusack and fellow lifeguard, Andrew Gallagher, were busy watching over the bathers at the Ninth Street beach, allowing them in the water, but making sure they stayed close to shore.
“The end of summer in August and September always brings with it the worst storms,” Gallagher, of Ocean City, noted.
The air temperatures were in the high 70s and the water temperatures hovered around 75 degrees.
Earlier in the day, the city sent out a statement issued by the National Weather Service advising of potential coastal flooding from Saturday night into Sunday and then a flood watch through Monday morning.
While the storm was predicted to unleash its worst in Long Island, New York, and New England, residents and vacationers in Ocean City were warned of high tides, heavy rains and minor tidal flooding.
Although the beaches weren’t packed, there were those who opted to hit the sands, no matter what the weather.
Julia Boyle, 16, and her sister, Abby, 17, and their cousins, Brianna Boyle, 15, and Katie Boyle, 17, all of Deptford, planned a daytrip to the resort weeks ago.
They laughed and pointed to Brianna when asked whose idea it was to stay with the plan and take the drive down to Ocean City on Saturday.
“I figured it would still be fun to hang out. There is a lot to do here, even if it isn’t a sunny day,” Brianna said.
They sat far from the water’s edge.
“Our parents told us we can’t go in the water,” Katie pointed out. “We are making the most of it.”
They lounged on their beach towels, chatted and walked along the shoreline.
“We are going to walk up on the Boardwalk in a little while and do some shopping,” Julia said.
While the Boyles were just down for the day, other families were down for the week.
Nick and Katie Strong, of Taneytown, Md., brought their daughter, Teagan, 7, and 8-year-old son, Ryan, down for vacation.
Katie’s family has a home in Ocean City.
The kids played in the sand, waded in the water with their father, and voiced some of their feelings about the day, and the weather.
“I’m mad I can’t surf,” Ryan said.
Strong explained that the lifeguards told beachgoers in areas other than the 7th Street surf beach that they could not “do any boarding” due to the churned-up surf and swells.
“He only exists to go surfing,” Strong joked about his son Ryan’s love of surfing.
“I’d love to go boogie boarding but I can’t,” Teagan chimed in.
“They are having fun anyway,” Strong said.
And judging by the smiles and the laughter, as Ryan and Teagan dug in the sand, it appeared they were having a lot of fun.
