OC still fixing damage from January storm
In January, a Category 4 winter storm, defined as "crippling" on the North East Snowfall Impact Scale, hit the East Coast, affecting 11 states and leaving 31 people dead in its wake. In Ocean City, the damage came in the near-destruction of the fishing pier, and considerable damage to dunes, fencing and crossovers. Now nearly six months later, repairs are still underway.
In conjunction with the state of Maryland, Ocean City continues to remove debris and repair the beaches. However, while progress has been made, the beaches will still bear the scars for a while.
“Unfortunately, until the beach itself is restored, the dune slopes and crossovers will be steeper than normal and more difficult to traverse,” Town of Ocean City Engineer Terry McGean said in a press release. “We understand that this can make beach access difficult for some and would ask that our residents and visitors bear with us for the summer season."
READ MORE: Ocean City works to reverse damage from Winter Storm Jonas
While work will continue over the summer, a full restoration isn't planned until next spring, when the Town of Ocean City will coordinate with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to perform a full beach replenishment. Until then, McGean urged beachgoers to be wary of the environment.
“Until the dunes can be fenced and vegetated, they are extremely vulnerable,” McGean said. “We ask for everyone to respect the dunes and refrain from walking or sitting on them. We appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience this causes our beachgoers.”
Ocean City is certainly not alone in still feeling shock waves from the storm. While with its winds came surreal moments like American-flag wielding snowboarders on the streets of Manhattan, the storm was economically devastating. In Maryland, it charted as the worst snowstorm since 1892, with 29.2 inches dropping between January 22 and 23. For all states, the estimated economic cost in damages is in the billions.