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Ocean Reclaims Swaths of Bethany Beach
posted 11/13/09 5:12 pm
ABC 7 News - Ocean Reclaims Swaths of Bethany Beach
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BETHANY BEACH, Del. - Block after block, on the ocean side and on the bay side, entire neighborhoods in Bethany Beach, Del., are flooded. Some of the homes are designed for it; others clearly are not.

"Some houses that have water in the main living area up to about a foot and a half, two feet," said Joe Quaid. "We've lived here 26 years. This is the worst nor'easter we've seen."

That was an oft-repeated thought along the beach Friday. This no-name nor'easter, spawned with help from the remnants of Ida, is as bad a storm as most can remember.

"I just pray it doesn't come into the house," said Joy Griffith, whose home did escape the water.



It is too early to tell how much damage the flooding will cause. Those answers will come when the waters recede.

What is already apparent is that this beach town has lost much of its beach and more than half of its man-made sand dune. Spurs from the boardwalk now end abruptly at a 15-foot drop off, where people gather to marvel at the power of the ocean.

"I can't get out my driveway, we're flooded in," said Connie Lalli. "The majesty of it is phenomenal. The wind and the strength of the ocean is just phenomenal. You have to see it to appreciate it."

In the town of South Bethany, a stretch of the dune is entirely gone. The ocean is now undermining several homes.

"People didn't want the dune," but they're glad they had it," said one man.

ABC 7's Brad Bell reported that the waves looked bigger on Friday than on Thursday.

Flooding is the other problem along the seashore and it is a big problem. Entire neighborhoods are underwater. Many homes are built on stilts and can take the inundation; others are flooded.

Gov. Jack Markell personally toured the devastation in southern Delaware Friday, arriving at at a Delaware State Police troop in Rehoboth Beach early Friday to get an update on conditions after the storm prompted road and school closings throughout the southern Delmarva peninsula.

Markell also planned to visit the bridge over Indian River inlet, which was closed by high water. State Route 1 between Dewey Beach and Bethany Beach remains closed after water broke through the dunes.

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