Parts of Ocean City flooded after 3 inches of rain falls Thursday

More than 3 inches of rain fell in a span of two hours in Ocean City on Thursday, causing several inches of flooding in low-lying parts of the resort town and along Coastal Highway.

At Ocean City Municipal Airport, on the mainland across from the barrier island, 3.14 inches fell from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the bulk of it between 10 a.m. and noon, according to the National Weather Service.

While flooding is relatively common in the downtown area on the southern end of Ocean City, such as during Superstorm Sandy when water was as much as several feet deep in the area, flooding was significant in north Ocean City.

"There is high standing water on roadways especially north of 120th. Avoid driving in north OC for now if possible," Ocean City police said via Twitter about 1 p.m.

"Looks like there is high water throughout OC, not just up-town. USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING!" they added an hour later.

A flash flood watch is in effect for all of the Maryland coast from Ocean City to Assateague through 6 a.m. Friday.

Emergency officials were continuing to monitor the weather, with more rain forecast later Thursday, town government spokeswoman Jessica Waters said. Waters said she did not know of any emergencies and called the flooding "minor".

"It's just something most people aren't used to seeing when they come down to the beach," Waters said. "They're used to the sunshine."

The rainfall is nearly a month's worth for Ocean City. While the weather service doesn't maintain detailed climate information for Ocean City, in nearby Salisbury and Wallops Island, Va., normal July rainfall is about 4 inches.

Here are some accounts from Ocean City via Twitter:

Originally Published: Jul 11, 2013 at 2:54 pm