Tag Archives: Ocean City

Snowzilla Is a Nor’easter Along Maryland Coast

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Interstate 70 and Interstate 270 reported Closed.

The state of Maryland has closed Interstate 70 Saturday evening, from the Baltimore beltway in the east to Interstate 81 at Hagerstown in the west.  Interstate 270 is also reported closed from the Washington beltway to Frederick, where it merges into I-70 going west.

The Snowzilla blizzard of 2016 is also a Nor’easter along the Maryland coast. Nor’easters often cause some flooding and erosion on Maryland’s ocean coastline and the Chesapeake Bay area.

In Ocean City, waves driven by high winds and unusually high tides were reported pounding the beaches on Saturday, continuing Saturday night and probably into Sunday. For some Ocean City streets that typically experience flooding during storms and extremely high tides, this storm was no different. Continue reading →

Maryland League of Conservation Voters Endorsements Map

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The Maryland League of Conservation Voters map of endorsed candidates is here. Easy to click on your own legislative district for endorsements.

Most of the Maryland General Assembly candidate endorsements are clustered in the Baltimore-Washington urban-suburban area.

The ONLY Eastern Shore GA candidate endorsed is Judy Davis, a Democrat running for the new open seat in District 38C (Ocean City, Ocean Pines, N. Worcester County and NE Wicomico County.)

I’m shore that Judy Davis would welcome campaign contributions from loyal Democrats and green voters. Her motto, “Teacher, Mother, Volunteer.”  (This message has not been authorized or approved by any candidate. Just sayn’)

Del. Norm Conway in District 38B has won environmental group endorsements in the past, but was not selected by the League of Conservation Voters this year.

And in other environmental news, the Green Party of Montgomery County has released a scorecard on how members of the Montgomery County Council voted, 2011-2014. You can see the scorecard here.

Marc Ehrlich is the only MoCo council member to earn a 100 percent rating from the Green Party. He’s followed by Nancy Navarro with 88 percent, and Phil Andrews and Roger Berliner both at 75 percent. And so on. Nancy Floreen earned the lowest rating from the Green Party, with 25 percent.

— John Hayden

January Is Time To Make Motel Reservations At The Beach

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OCEAN CITY SAND DUNE Photo by John Hayden

OCEAN CITY SAND DUNE, WITH A COLONY OF BIRDHOUSES. Photo by John Hayden

On these first days of January, phones are ringing off the hook at beach motels, according to my business contacts in Ocean City, Maryland.

It happens every year.

You might or might not be surprised to know that some travelers have favorite rooms at favorite vacation spots. Savvy vacationers jump on the phone in January to make sure they get their favorite room for the exact dates they want in July and August. Wait too long, and the rooms with the best views and amenities might be gone.

For some folks who honeymooned at the beach, it’s a matter of sentimental attachment. Same thing for couples who conceived a child while on vacation.

Continue reading →

At Winter’s End, Explosive Surf Along Ocean City Beaches

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Unusually powerful waves continued to break just off the Ocean City, Maryland,  beach in the bright sunshine Saturday afternoon, March 9, 2013.

Earlier in the week, the last storm of winter rolled up the East Coast, bringing snow inland, but only rain and sustained high wind here on the Atlantic shore. The rotation of the storm caused strong winds to push ocean water onto the beach and into the coastal bays behind the barrier islands.

sand on sea wall

The onshore winds continued through four or five tide cycles on Wednesday and Thursday. Sand (above) was blown and pushed up to and over the sea wall and onto the boardwalk in places. But there was no damage to the boardwalk. The sea wall did it’s job. Some buildings in Ocean City sustained wind damage to siding, and some signs were blown over. A little beach erosion. But generally, I think the storm was pushing sand up on the beach, rather than washing it away. — John Hayden

More photos of the surf, taken between 3 and 4 p.m. Saturday, as the high tide came in:

December Sunshine @ The Beach

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pine tree on bdwk

Seventy degrees in December! It’s not unheard of in Maryland, although normal temps would be in the 40s during the day, maybe 30s at night.

But throughout the northern U.S.? Seventy degrees in December in Chicago? Temperature records are being broken in some places. Winter’s off to a mild start. (Reality check: Don’t get too excited. Winter doesn’t officially begin until Dec. 21.)  I’m trying not to be complacent. A blizzard might slap us in the face when we least expect it.

December is always a variable month here in Maryland. We rarely get snow before Christmas. But we don’t often enjoy 70 degrees, either. The photo above was taken a few days ago at the south end of the Ocean City boardwalk. Too bad there’s not many people here to enjoy it, except us year-rounders.

Seventy in December. Global warming? You think?

— John Hayden

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WHAT NOW?!

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What’s next?

Fiscal cliff? Nor’easter? Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s! It’s too much, too fast. Stop the news! I want to get off.

Doesn’t my apartment need serious cleaning? Wait. Don’t I have some bills to pay, like yesterday? Don’t I have a prescription to pick up? I could fold the laundry, unload the dishwasher, brush the cat.

I need an emergency nap.

For Ocean City, Maryland, mayor and council election results, click right here.

— John

Surreal Ocean City Beach And Sky After Hurricane Sandy, A Photo Story

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Dancing sand moving machines

Surreal photos of the Ocean City, Maryland, beach and sky Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, the day after Hurricane Sandy made landfall in New Jersey and moved inland. Photos made possible by my new digital camera. No extra charge for the words.

Shoreham Hotel with Irish pub @ 4th St. stands tall after the storm, reflected in a pool of water deposited at the base of the boardwalk sea wall by Hurricane Sandy.

The little sea wall that saved the Ocean City boardwalk from Hurricane Sandy. How close did the ocean come to the boardwalk? This close, and more.   Continue reading →

Ocean City Survived Hurricane Sandy

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Ocean City and West Ocean City have survived Hurricane Sandy with relatively light damage and less flooding that I would have expected. I just posted a Tuesday noon report at Ocean City Blog, AKA Maryland On My Mind. More photos to come here at Work in Progress later today. — John

Ocean City, MD, Fire Destroys Top Floor of Condo Building

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Firefighters battled an intense fire that engulfed the top floor of a condominium building at 38th St., just south of the Convention Center, in midtown Ocean City, Maryland. The fire started at about 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012. No injuries were reported. The summer season is over, and parking lots on both sides of the building appeared to be nearly empty, allowing fire apparatus to get close to the building on both sides. Firefighters had to brave clouds of intense, acrid-smelling smoke. 

Continue reading →