A Look At The Impact Hurricane Maria Could Have On Ocean City
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Hurricane Maria may be well offshore, but the storm still has Ocean City taking precautions.
Safely out to sea, doesn't necessarily mean safer near shore.
What's left of Hurricane Maria has turned Ocean City's shoreline into a churning gray and brought few people on to the beach.
As for swimming, Ocean City officials are warning against getting into the water.
"No, we have no thoughts of going in the water," said one visitor.
Still, there are a few who risk it.
"The ocean is pretty angry out there right now, you know, we do have rough surf," said Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan. "We're going to experience a lot of rip tides over the next couple of days."
Off-season means the beach patrol is mostly off, but there are still visitors trying to catch summer-like weather along the boardwalk.
As for what they can expect, Meehan says there may be some windy weather and minor flooding.
"We're expecting sustained winds 20 miles per hour, gusts up to 30. You know, some minor flooding in the downtown area, where we get flooding if you have a big thunderstorm," he said.
Sand and man-made dunes are Ocean City's main defense against the high water. Those are expensive infrastructure Maria is expected to leave intact, while providing a dramatic show of force for tourists.
"It's still beautiful. The beach is always beautiful. You know, the waves, the sound, it's just, peaceful even when it's threatening like this," said Ocean City visitor Tammy Queen.
For Ocean City, better beach weather is expected by this weekend.
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