DEWEY BEACH, DE. - The aftermath of three days of relentless rain continues to linger in Dewey Beach, where residents on the bay side grapple with worsening flooding conditions exacerbated by rising tides.
Neighborhoods such as Read Avenue are particularly susceptible to inundation, with water levels creeping onto roads and even reaching porch tops, according to locals.
"It absolutely is the worst flooded place. Bayard Avenue used to be the worse but they fixed it years ago," remarked Phil Winkler, a resident of Read Avenue.
Winkler elaborated on the compounding effects of high tides, attributing the exacerbation of the problem to the drainage of 28 acres in Dewey Beach. "All the water comes this way and when you have a high tide...the water's got nowhere to drain to, so it just builds up here. The rainwater builds up and the bay water comes in," he explained.
Mimi McKennan, another resident on Buena Rd., expressed resignation regarding the persistence of flooding at her home on Buena Street. "This will sit here for 2 or 3 days at least before it really gets down to a manageable level," she said.
However, McKennan emphasized that such occurrences have become routine, prompting proactive measures like relocating vehicles during heavy rainfall or high tides to prevent water damage. "If we get really heavy rain or it looks like the tides will be really high, we actually have to move our cars because it will come up into our cars," she explained.
Despite the adaptation strategies, dealing with the aftermath of flooding remains a major challenge for residents. "It's very frustrating, it's inconvenient, and it's annoying. And sometimes it costs us money. We lost a refrigerator and a hot water heater a couple of years ago because they were in the outbuildings right behind it and it flooded," Winkler lamented.
The water began to recede in the early afternoon, allowing streets to gradually reopen to traffic.