Community Corner

Storm Surge Not Feared; Flooding, Wind Likely to Cause Problems

Boat and local marina owners don't expect big problems Saturday night. Significant flooding and power outages likely.

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Late Saturday afternoon, as the outer band and first rain from Hurricane Irene arrived in Dundalk, Star Marina manager Jeff Howell jumped into action: He threw a bushel of crabs into a steamer underneath an outdoor awning.

“I can keep an eye on the boats from here,” Howell said with a laugh.

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Nearly all of the marina's boats had been pulled out and most of the few that remained had their owners on board, determined to ride out the storm.

Howell figured there wasn’t too much to worry about.

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“Were at high tide right now and the water’s low,” Howell said. “When the worst comes tonight, it’s going to be at low tide. I don’t think it’s going to rise above the pier. Not the way the wind is blowing now.”

Likewise, Mike Byer, one of the boat owners staying the night on his vessel, was beginning to think Hurricane Irene might be a “non-event” for local boaters, at least at Star Marina.

“When Isabel hit (in 2003), it arrived at high tide,” said Byer, planning to head out for dinner with John Horvath, another Star Marina boat owner, before returning back to his boat for the remainder of the storm and evening. “We’re pretty well sheltered here as well.”

At the Anchor Bay East Marina off Cove Road, 75 boats had been pulled out of the water in the days leading up to Saturday afternoon. Owner Art Cox said he had a crew coming in at 10 p.m. that would keep an eye on the boats on land and those remaining in the water.

Like at the Star Marina, several boaters, including a couple of crabbers, had decided to ride out the storm on their boats instead of pulling them out. It can cost a couple of hundred dollars for large boats to be pulled out and then put back in the water again.

Meanwhile, inside the Hard Yacht Café, which Cox also owns with his wife Tina, a good crowd had gathered for an impromptu party.

“A hurricane party,” laughed Alvin Hartman, on hand with his son Bryan and other family members and friends.

“Why not? Our power is already out,” said Tom Williamson, sitting next to his girlfriend, Becca Andes.

Most of those relaxing over beers at the Hard Yacht didn’t have much to worry about, at least in the early hours of Irene. There’s not much to do one way or another if the power goes out, and if your house sits on a hill – flooding isn’t an issues.

“Most of us don’t have homes that we have to worry about flooding,” said Sean Moore, nonetheless, like most at the Hard Yacht, keeping tabs on Irene via updates on the flat screen televisions around the bar.

The Hard Yacht remained dry, but water was lapping up stronger against the dock area outside, several feel below the bar’s floor, by early Saturday evening.

Cox pointed to a plaque about four feet above the floor at the entrance of the bar, noting the watermark left by Isabel. Like others, he didn’t think his bar would suffer a surge like that again.

“Right now, high tide has passed,” Cox said. “If the winds are 70 miles per hour, that could cause problems, but the worst is going hit at low tide tonight.”

No one expected Miller’s Island or Edgemere to fair as well in the heavy rain and wind.

On Miller’s Island, for example, some roads had flooded by 7 p.m. and several fences and signs had been knocked down by high winds.

The sign on the front door of the Dock of the Bay restaurant on Miller’s Island said it all Saturday night: “Closes Because of the Storm.”


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