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Thursday, August 06, 2015

Natural Factors Cause Dramatic Change In OC Beach

OCEAN CITY — A variety of factors have conspired this week to create a dramatic change in the beach in Ocean City, including a sharp drop-off of as high as four or five feet with a pronounced ledge at the water’s edge.

A combination of high tides, prevailing north-south currents and heavy wave action spurred by a recent full moon, the second in July and a phenomenon known as a blue moon, created a steep drop off with a pronounced edge along the waterfront in the resort. It’s a natural phenomenon that occurs often throughout the year, but because it was created during one of the peak seasons in the summer this week, it has created somewhat of a stir.

Ocean City officials and the Ocean City Beach Patrol are monitoring the change in the beach, although there is little or nothing to do other than let nature run its course. City Engineer Terry McGean said on Wednesday he had been checking out the conditions.

“Coincidentally, I just rode the beach this morning,” he said. “The edge condition occurs along pretty much the entire beach and into Delaware. It is a natural occurrence that we typically see more in the winter and spring.”

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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

No problem, a few million and we'll pump sand back on it.

Anonymous said...

This looks good! It makes OC look as crappy as it really is!

Anonymous said...

The blue ocean, the white-sand beach, the calm bay, and tons of bikinis. Yeah... OC looks pretty crappy.

Anonymous said...

Oh my god, someone needs to run down the beach in lifeguard shorts with a lifebouy screaming "Evacuate the beach, the city is sinking!"

Anonymous said...

The dredging project done some time back was too close to the beach.Another 1/4 mile farther out would have avoided this.

Anonymous said...

Making sandbars can reduce this. Building beach higher than ocean levels will cause this.

Oh,wait. Ocean levels are rising because I use hair spray or drive to work, I forgot.

Except that the beach sand was "risen", but the ocean stayed the same.

Darn.

This climate change is getting more false than yesterday's nuclear war.

Anonymous said...

The method of beach replenishment along Delmarva has ruined the beach profile and the shore breaking waves are very dangerous for swimmers. If the sand is piled up high on the beach and none put in the surf to help shallow sand bars to form, the sea erodes the beach at the waterline and a 'cliff' is formed. The unusually high tides of August just moved the cliff up the waterline where it can be seen. The cliff is normally lower on the waterline right where the shore breaking waves hit.