Kind of, um, a few of these umbrellas have once again returned to their original location after a powerful gust of wind displaced numerous umbrellas from the sandy shores in the Bethany Beach region last August and dramatically hurled them into the ocean.
On Wednesday, while the tide was low, Dewey Beach shared on Facebook that they had received “multiple reports” of individuals discovering umbrellas protruding from the sand.
The Manager of Town, Bill Zolper, reported that about four or five umbrellas were buried in the sand by the end of Wednesday. The town cautioned people to be cautious when allowing their pets to explore the shoreline or when entering the water.
STRONG GUSTS: There goes my umbrella! Here’s how to stay secure when unforeseen storms arise at the shore.
In the social media post, the municipality expressed that our upkeep team and beach service provider are collaborating to examine the shoreline during low tide and eliminate any parasols.
To report any sightings of umbrellas in the tide line, Dewey Beach urges individuals to contact the Town Hall by dialing 302-227-6363 or by utilizing the 311 System at www.Townofdeweybeach.Com/311. It is important for staff members to assist by specifying the exact street location when submitting the report.
What happened in August
The National Weather Service sent out a special weather statement in the afternoon of August 5th, warning that a severe thunderstorm resembling a “first stepping stone” could occur at Mount Holly, New Jersey. In an interview with the Delaware Online Journal News, meteorologist Trent Davis stated that the storm could bring hail the size of peas and wind speeds of up to 40 mph.
Lifeguards and meteorologists have warned beachgoers to be cautious of sudden severe weather conditions and to be aware of storm warnings as they arrive easily along the coast.
And that’s precisely what occurred in the vicinity of Bethany Beach.
“There was not much you could do to avoid the situation.” − And, according to one commenter, the storm arrived earlier than anticipated and increased in intensity as it approached the coastline. Several beachgoers later shared their comments on Facebook.
As the summer afternoon progressed on this Friday, people on the beach quickly came to the aid of one another, helping to secure loose articles and prevent them from being carried away by the swiftly gusting wind, which also began to whip up the sand.
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s an umbrella?
Afterwards, the parasols went soaring.
One visitor recorded a video from a porch in Beach Bethany at Sea Colony, as dozens of umbrellas rose up and the wind blew the ocean air and sand through a hazy cloudy wind.
“One individual on Facebook remarked that chaos erupted immediately. It is typical for the majority of individuals to remain on the beach despite a light rain, after which the weather cleared up and became sunny.”
Meteorologists often attribute the quickly changing weather along the Delaware coast to the sea breeze, which acts as a catalyst for initiating storms.
While these seemingly spontaneous summer storms are likely now behind us, the memories of this August storm continue to wash up on the beaches of Dewey Beach in the form of plastic umbrellas precariously sticking out of the sand.