By now, the mere potential that exists for even dangerous weather later in the weekend from Joaquin should have everyone on edge and at a minimum prepared.
With a significant storm system impacting weather currently as well as the tropical event expected to influence the start of the work week, the main storylines are tremendous amounts of rain that could total five inches or more and coastal flooding, the severity of which will be entirely dependent on the timing of the tides and peak storm surge.
The weather has scrapped most planned events in the area and will impact many businesses and their employees still trying to get as much revenue out of the tourism season as possible.
However, the hope anytime severe weather poses a major threat to our shore is that the only concern is the loss of sales rather than major damage. The idea that hindsight wondering about what the weekend would have been like without the severe weather is always better than the destruction that could come from a major event.
A reminder of that came last week when we relived Hurricane Gloria, which brought massive storm surge and flooding to Ocean City and destroyed the Boardwalk 30 years ago.
While we wait for Joaquin to make its way near us and deal with the current soaker of a weather system, there’s plenty of things local residents as well as those who call this area home part of the year should be doing. Staying abreast of what’s happening is critical and foremost as is have an emergency plan and stocking up on materials in the case of a prolonged power outage.
Along with following this newspaper’s online resources, we recommend signing up for the Town of Ocean City’s alert system through http://oceancitymd.gov/enews. You can get emails and texts of current plans and expectations from the city that will keep you aware of what’s happening at all times.
Additionally, expect the worst and hope for the best is the mantra as far as storm preparations. It’s better to be over-prepared and feel foolish for over-reacting than the alternative.