REHOBOTH BEACH – Delaware remains under a tropical storm warning on Sunday.
With Hermine moving more in an eastward track, the state will not see as much wind or rain as feared today.
However, there is still concern about moderate flooding tonight and major flooding Monday morning.
“Observed tidal departures range from +1.0 to +2.0 feet this morning, and continue to slowly increase with the persistent onshore flow,” said the National Weather Service in a Sunday morning briefing. “Given a slightly more eastward track, expected forecasted maximum tide heights have been reduced slightly, and it now appears that the Monday morning high tide may be the worst.
“Moderate flooding is expected with tonight’s high tide, and moderate to major flooding is likely with the Monday morning high tide. Likewise, the axis of heavy rain is now expected to remain well off the coast closer to the center of the storm, and so estimates of the heaviest rainfall have been reduced.”
Along Rehoboth Beach this morning, waves were significantly calmer this morning. With some sun, the temperature was 72 at the beach mid-morning.
Mike Seidel of the Weather Channel was reporting that lifeguards are not allowing anyone in the water. “They can go down and touch their toes, but there’s no swimming,” Captain Kent Buckson of the Rehoboth Beach lifeguard patrol told Mr. Seidel. “I told my staff this morning that this can kill people and it’s not to be played with.”
Rip currents continue to be a huge concern along the coast.
High tides at about 11:20 p.m. Sunday night are expected to bring moderate flooding in Sussex and areas along the Kent County bayshore, and possibly major flooding just before noon Monday morning in those area.
Less than a quarter inch of rain is expected in the next few days in southern Delaware. Today’s winds are about 20 mph on the beach.
On Saturday, there was less than two-tenths of an inch of rain recorded along the coast, according to the Delaware Observing System. The top wind gusts were about 37 mph at the Indian River Inlet around mid-day Saturday.