Beaches open in Dewey Beach

After brief closures to dune crossings in Dewey Beach May 12-13, all entrances are now open.

Town Manager Bill Zolper said he walked the beach from Collins to Chesapeake during high tide May 15.

“We lost on average about five feet in depth,” he said. “Worst area with smallest beach during high tide was from McKinley to New Orleans. We’ll continue to monitor the dune crossings and repair where necessary.”

Zolper said Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will be working on the beach after completing maintenance on the beach in South Bethany, and he did not know when DNREC would make it to Dewey to begin repairs.

Maintenance Supervisor Don Richards and maintenance employee Barry Walls leveled the cliffs on Bellevue, Dagsworthy and Collins, to make them passable on May 13.

Earlier in the day May 13, Zolper announced that dune entrance crossings to the beach were closed May 12 due to dangerous conditions on the beach arising from the nor’easter. All streets were opened later, with the exception of Bellevue, Dagsworthy and Collins streets, due to large cliffs that posed a danger to the public. 

At the time, Zolper said town employees were assessing each dune crossing within town limits and would open those that were deemed safe for public use. 

Note: Updated 9:30 a.m. May 16