BETHANY BEACH, Del. — As a nor’easter moves through Delmarva, strong winds and rough waves are putting the dunes near Indian River Inlet to the test.
For some visitors, the stormy weather is part of the experience.
“We’re happy to be here and just experience weather. It’s kind of exciting,” said Ginny Matthews.
Jill Wenz said she and her family were enjoying the warmer temperatures while watching the waves grow stronger.
“We’re just enjoying that, the fact that it’s still temperate weather and we can watch the waves and the storm coming in. It’s kind of exciting,” Wenz said.
But the waves and wind are also putting pressure on the coastline.
The dunes along Route 1 are designed to help absorb the impact of coastal storms. If those dunes erode or breach, however, water and sand could reach the roadway.
Visitors say they have seen that happen before.
“We’ve been here when this happened, actually, when it flooded across the northbound side and they had it closed,” John Matthews said. “So that was just about a year or two ago.”
Now, with more stormy weather expected, DNREC crews are assessing damage from the early stages of the nor’easter.
Officials will continue watching the shoreline as the storm moves through, paying close attention to coastal flooding, dune erosion and changes along the beach.
Ronald Wenz said he would not be surprised to see some flooding along Route 1.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if there might be some coastal flooding,” Wenz said. “As you drive down 1 here, you could see the water already at the roadway.”
For now, visitors and coastal officials are watching the waves, water and dunes to see how much the shoreline changes as the storm continues.
