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Hurricane Hanna is making its way toward the Delaware coast and is expected to bring 40 to 60 mph winds along with substantial rain on Saturday, Sept. 6.
Dan Kottlowski, expert senior meteorologist with AccuWeather, said Hanna is expected to make landfall near the North Carolina-South Carolina border on Friday, Sept. 5, and track toward western Delaware. Kottlowski said the coastal region, Lewes, Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach, will be on the east side of the storm - on the receiving end of stronger winds.
Kottlowski said rain would begin across Delaware late Friday afternoon. He said the height of the storm is predicted to come on Saturday morning, along with up to 60 mph winds and 2 to 4 inches of rainfall. According to the National Weather Service, winds from 39 to 73 mph qualify as a tropical storm.
Kottlowski said the storm should taper off by the afternoon, with the rain moving north by the evening. He said after Hanna goes north, the weather on Sunday, Sept. 7, should be gorgeous.
Rehoboth is taking its own precautions with the approaching storm. Mayor Sam Cooper said his main concern was getting trashcans, lifeguard stands and other loose items off the beach. Cooper said no warnings have been issued for the city.
City Manager Greg Ferrese said he would be meeting with all department heads Friday, Sept. 5. He said the city would make sure all the catch basins are clean, so there is proper drainage and all lightweight objects on the beach would be moved off. Ferrese said the city would put these items back in place Sunday, Sept. 7.
The Rehoboth Beach Planning Commission has a meeting at 10 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 6. Chairman Preston Littleton said canceling the meeting is still to be determined. Just as Hanna leaves, Hurricane Ike may be right behind. Kottlowski said Ike could reach the Mid-Atlantic by Wednesday, Sept. 10, if it hits at all.
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Drought to heavy rain could disturb water systems
The heavy rain anticipated this weekend could help alleviate drought conditions in Sussex County but could generate a whole new set of issues.
The National Weather Service has listed Delaware as in a moderate drought. But, the remnants of Hurricane Hanna are expected to douse the area this weekend, giving crops and lawns some much-needed water.
Farmers and agriculture officials have warned that significant crop losses could ensue without rain. Environmental officials have cautioned that some aquatic animals are at risk as water levels drop, stressing ecosystems. Drought conditions can also be problematic for the Inland Bays.
Drought followed by heavy rain can be just as troublesome for the bays.
Dry spells produce both good and bad results for the bays. With little or no rain, less water flows into the Inland Bays, said Ed Lewandowski, executive director of the Center for the Inland Bays (CIB). That means less runoff water to deliver pollutants to the bays. However, because about 80 percent of the freshwater that goes into the bays comes from ground water, nutrient pollutants still get into the bays.
With less water going into the bays, the bays flush less and salt becomes more concentrated. If bay water becomes nearly as salty as ocean water, different plants and animals may move in to take advantage of conditions they favor.
Ed Whereat, coordinator of the University of Delaware’s Citizens Monitoring Program, which routinely tests area waters, said with a storm such as a hurricane that involves wind and higher tides, some flushing may occur. He said water moving and mixing could be good for the systems.
When rain isn’t routinely flushing land pollutants off the land, they accumulate there. Then, with periods of heavy rain, such as the Cape Region is forecast to have, those built-up pollutants can be caught up in rainwater runoff.
Whereat said, “It’s really hard to speculate. It depends on how much rain we get and how fast it rains. We have a greater potential for runoff especially if it comes fast, since it has been so dry.”
Lewandowski said the stormwater that runs off an area first after dry weather will typically be more polluted than what comes later.
“The direct contribution of ‘first flush’ pollutants to the estuary may induce algal blooms and subsequent fish kills, but there is no certainty in that type of occurrence,” he said.
That’s because there is a lot of variability in processes such as runoff.
“However, I think it is safe to assert that an adequate riparian buffer system in our watershed can help to diminish the concentration of ‘first flush’ pollutants and mitigate the impacts from pollutant deposition on the land,” Lewandowski said.
Buffers are vegetated areas along waterways that protect water quality by absorbing nutrients and filtering water.
This spring, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) held a public hearing on the latest draft Inland Bays Pollution Control Strategy, which includes a variable buffer system. The plan received significant criticism from property-rights advocates.
Environmental officials are still evaluating public comments to the plan and no decision has been issued. A pollution control strategy for the Inland Bays watershed has been in the works for more than a decade, but no regulation has been implemented.
Freshwater systems dry
Recent dry conditions have state officials calling for some precautions to protect freshwater fish and water resources.
State environmental officials say a dry August has left ponds and lakes low. They are asking the public not to use water from ponds and lakes for landscape irrigation.
Stewart Lovell, head of the water supply section of DNREC, said, “During this dry spell, water levels and stream flows have fallen much below normal, which can lead to low levels of dissolved oxygen in the water and cause harmful algae blooms and fish kills, and some have occurred.”
Taking more water out of ponds and lakes can create more stress on the ecosystems, Lovell said.
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