Thunderstorms leave major damage across communities in Rehoboth Beach, residents thankful for safety
REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. -Early morning storms with 70 MPH winds hit Rehoboth Beach Tuesday.
Several neighbors were woken up with concern, without power, and major damage. “The dog woke us up barking. Looked outside and it was just lightning, lightning, lightning,” Renter Cathie Lammy said.
“It was almost as if it was exploding not far outside our house and there were things flying around. Pines cones hitting and branches. Then all of a sudden, boom,” Resident Bob Dieterle said.
It wasn’t the average morning on the block of Hickman and Bayard, one of several areas that saw severe damage.
Residents I spoke with say the power and aftermath of Tuesday’s storm caught them completely by surprise. “I saw my neighbor and I said ‘Is there anything by your car?’ He said yeah my car got crushed and that tree had fallen on it. I decided at that point I’m going back inside,” Dieterle said.
Director of Rehoboth Beach Public Works Kevin Williams says they started receiving calls as early as 5:30a.m.
Clean up efforts were underway immediately, clearing roads and sidewalks for travel. “We don’t necessarily practice for this but we get a lot of experience doing it with storms that come through here. So they know the protocol, who to call, and what to do right off the bat,” Williams said.
“And a lot of home owners have been out clearing sidewalks and clearing up the debris out of yards. So it’s really been a whole team effort.”
Several other areas were hit by the down pour, causing structural damage to many homes and vehicles.
Yet, Resident Bob Dietrele says what matters most is that no one was hurt. “I walk quiet a bit of this city. There was some damage and some power loss. By and large, I think everybody was safe. That’s what I care about,” Dietrele said.
We’re told Delmarva Power saw around 1,700 customer outages due to the storm.
We’re unable to confirm how many homes now have power now, but Public Works officials tell us that Delmarva Power anticipates having those homes powered up by Tuesday evening.
