Delaware’s coastal communities are still dealing with the effects of Tropical Storm Ophelia.
“Delaware experienced widespread erosion along our Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay coastlines as the tropical storm approached. And even though it dissipated, and was downgraded, that low pressure system is still going to be driving Northeast winds throughout the week, and we expect more erosion to come throughout the week,” said Jesse Hayden, an Environmental Program Administrator with DNREC’s Shoreline and Waterway Management Section.
Hayden says the weekend storm required a multi-agency response, involving DNREC, DelDOT, and the Delaware Emergency Management Agency.
Delaware Seashore State Park is one area DNREC and DelDOT are watching. It was already seeing beach erosion, and the portion of Coastal Highway that runs through it was closed for a time during the storm.
Elsewhere, beach nourishment in Rehoboth, Dewey, Bethany, and Fenwick Island done this spring was successful in helping protect infrastructure along the coast.
“We saw water get up very high on the beach, we saw water and waves hitting the dune, but no significant erosion,” explained Hayden. “So that means the beach performed well. It's supposed to absorb the impact from these storms and it did.”
Hurricane season officially runs until November 30th in Delaware.
“It’s still early in hurricane season, so there's bound to be more storms approaching. There's not too much we can do right now, but we will be making repairs and trying to enhance the protective capacity of our beach and dunes so that we are ready for the next storm when it comes.”
Their immediate focus, once workers are able to safely get on the beach following the end of this storm, will be weak spots in dunes and public access points commonly used by the community.
