Not a historic amount of rain, but it was still a lot

This past week’s storm may not have been historic, but there was still a lot of rain in a short period of time.

Kevin Brinson, director of the Delaware Environmental Observing System for the University of Delaware, said rain gauges for the Slaughter Beach area show 10 inches of rain from Sept. 30 to Oct. 5. That’s way more rain than the typical month, let alone the span of four or five days, he said.

Brinson said the communities along the Delaware Bay showed the most rain, with Lewes getting nearly 7 inches. It wasn’t just the amount of rain, as the wind kept blowing on shore and keeping tides from exiting the Delaware Bay and Inland Bays, he said.

There’s a tide gauge at Rosedale Beach in Oak Orchard that showed levels exceeding the flooding stage, said Brinson. According to that gauge, the tide reached roughly 4.6 feet in Oak Orchard twice – the late-day tide Oct. 2 and Oct. 3.

It’s not unprecedented, said Brinson.

Brinson described this week’s weather as “not a typical weather pattern.” The energy from what was left of Hurricane Ian was absorbed into a coastal low that just sat off the coast for a few days.

Looking forward, Brinson said it’s tough to know if storms like this one or the Mother’s Day storm earlier this year will be more frequent. There are studies that suggest that’s the case, but this is also the time of year when there’s an increase in coastal storms.

“As we transition into fall, we’re still very much in an active tropical storm season,” said Brinson. “There are more dynamic storm systems this time of year. There are all the ingredients for more interesting weather.”

Some Rehoboth dune crossings still closed

In response to the storm’s damage on the city dunes, Rehoboth Beach issued a notice Oct. 3 saying it had closed dune crossings from Surfside Place to Brooklyn Avenue.

Lynne Coan, city spokesperson, said Oct. 6 that beach access points from Rehoboth Avenue south are open. However, she said, dune crossings between Baltimore and Pennsylvania avenues remain closed due to escarpments that make it impossible to access the beach safely from the Boardwalk.

Roughly nine months ago, Congress approved a $1.5 trillion spending package that gives $97 million to Delaware for beach replenishment and other projects across the state.

Coan said the city has confirmation from Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control that beach replenishment is scheduled in Rehoboth this fall/winter/spring. The state will be surveying the damage and reporting it to the Army Corps of Engineers, she said.

The city declined to speculate on the structural integrity of the dunes, which protect the city’s infrastructure and properties from damage.

“We can say that we have been pleased with how the dunes have performed and appreciate the protection that they have afforded for the Boardwalk and other structures,” said Coan.

Storm hits Milton particularly hard

Rainstorms in the wake of Hurricane Ian hit downtown Milton particularly hard, especially on Union Street near the library.

On the night of Oct. 3, water piled up near the intersection of Union and Magnolia streets. Town Manager Kristy Rogers said three streets had to be closed: Chandler, Front and Magnolia streets, especially during high tides. Rogers said she doesn't know exactly how much rain Milton got, but as people filed out of town council’s Oct. 3 meeting, they were greeted by sidewalks and streets that were ankle-deep in water.

Reporter Ryan Mavity contributed to this story.