Town of Ocean City Provides Hurricane Erin Update

Public Access to Ocean Closed as Precautionary Measure

Ocean City, MD

The Town of Ocean City’s Department of Emergency Management is continuing to monitor the path of Hurricane Erin. The storm, which is projected to remain offshore, will bring significant impacts to the Mid-Atlantic coast this week.

“Due to strong waves and dangerous rip currents, we are prohibiting swimming and surfing in the ocean,” commented Ocean City Emergency Services Director Joe Theobald. “This proactive step was taken to protect the safety of residents, visitors, and first responders; however, the beach itself remains open, and the Town of Ocean City remains open for business.”

According to the National Weather Service, Hurricane Erin is currently a major Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 130 mph offshore. Although the eye of the storm is forecast to track northeast and away from the coast, its large size will generate dangerous surf, seas building 10–13 feet, and the potential for widespread minor to moderate coastal flooding from Tuesday night through Thursday. Key impacts expected this week include high rip current risk, coastal flooding, and localized rain and wind.

In addition, the Summer Send-Off event scheduled for August 21–24 on the beach has been postponed. A rescheduled date has not yet been determined.

The Town of Ocean City will be posting storm-related information on various websites, social media outlets, and through the Emergency Alert system. To keep citizens informed with the most updated and accurate information, the Town of Ocean City will be posting storm-related information on the following outlets:

– City-Wide Emergency Alerts: Citizens can sign up for emergency alerts by visiting: www.oceancitymd.gov/enews and subscribing to “City-Wide Emergency Alerts.”
– Town of Ocean City Facebook: www.facebook.com/TownOfOceanCity
– Town of Ocean City website: www.oceancitymd.gov
– FM Advisory Radio Station – 99.5
– Town of Ocean City Access Channels 4 & 15

Weather information is also available from the National Weather Service Wakefield at weather.gov/wakefield.

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