By: Matthew Edwards
On Friday January 22nd, snow began to fall as Winter Storm Jonas hit our area. Preventative measures such as salting took place as seen at the 34th Street ACME and throughout the town. Snowplows were at the ready to clear the road of the icy snow. 5 to 6 inches of snow covered our City throughout the night, but residents awoke to massive flooding on Saturday Morning.
Ocean City experienced the worst flooding since Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Ocean City became cut off from the mainland when the Ocean City Police Department closed all bridges leading in and out. Most roadways were impassable Saturday morning into late afternoon as debris and water covered the roads. Newly replenished beaches were battered by the high storm surges causing erosion. The peak tide for this storm was 8.02 feet, Sandy, 10.02 feet. The evening high tide failed to match the level of the morning tide, coming in at 7.7 feet. Peak wind gust came in at 66 miles per hour causing down tree limbs, power lines, and keeping the tide from going out. Rain and melting snow continued to reek havoc on the already flooded areas.