This week the topic is the environmental setting of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Despite being a relatively small city, there are still several things to address. Most notable is the climate, which plays a major role in the prosperity of the city during the summer months. However, I'd like to begin with a brief overview of some bigger environmental locations in and around Delaware. These locations are not very far from Rehoboth Beach and give a good idea of the surrounding areas.
First, the entire state of Delaware is located east of the fall line. Thus, water from rivers flow eastward to the atlantic ocean.
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| Hawksnest Overlook, Delaware River |
Delaware is home to the Delaware River, which provided many benefits for early settlers and residents still today. The Delaware River is also the location of George Washington's famous crossing of the Delaware in December of 1776. The next major location is the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay is a bit of a drive from Rehoboth Beach (About 2 hours actually), but it is a major environmental landmark and therefore worth noting. Additionally the Chesapeake Bay and Bays found throughout Delaware are estuaries and the home for many different species of animals. Essentially these bays serve as transitioning areas between rivers and the ocean. Rehoboth Bay is the northernmost of Delaware's inland Bay's and is connected to the Broadkill River by the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal.
Rehoboth Beach, and the rest of Delaware is located in the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain physiographic province. This province ranges along the eastern coast from New York down to Florida, and then westward along the Gulf of Mexico. The terrain in the province is some of the flattest terrain on the continent. Speaking from personal experience, Delaware as a whole is very flat, and there are not mountains in the distant like you can see on clear days in many parts of California. The area is characterized by swamps, marshes,lagoons, and estuaries as mentioned earlier.
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A National Guard tank rolls through a flooded section of
road near the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal during the
storm of 1962 |
The climate of Rehoboth Beach plays a major role in the city's summer madness. Rehoboth Beach features a mild humid subtropical climate. The summers are hot, and the winters are mild compared to locations farther inland. The Atlantic Ocean plays a role in moderating Rehoboth's weather. There is no dry season in Rehoboth Beach, like we experience during the summers in California. Additionally, in Rehoboth Beach it is not uncommon for afternoon thunderstorms to roll in. Based on experience I can say these storms move fast. They appear off in the distant and no more than 15 minutes later the wind is swirling and it's overhead. In 1962, a major storm caused massive flooding and damages to many cities including Rehoboth Beach. On average Rehoboth Beach gets about 44 inches of rain annually. This is only slightly above the national average, and thus rain does not ruin most summer
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Wreckage in Rehoboth Beach from the 1962 storm.
The boardwalk took the majority of the damage. |
beach trips. Rehoboth has an average temperature of 87 degrees fahrenheit in july, and 30 degrees fahrenheit in January. This statistic highlights why Rehoboth is such a popular summer destination. 87 with a nice breeze always beat the 105 degree weather California would get while I was on vacation. The weather is perfect for summer beach days, and it attracts thousands of vacationers each year. In the winter it cools down to a brisk average of 30 degrees. The beach is deserted and in some areas it resembles a ghost town. Despite a below freezing average, snowfall in Rehoboth Beach is relatively less than areas further inland because of the moderating effects the atlantic ocean has on the climate. Despite this, my cousins who live in Rehoboth Beach can confirm snow days are still very possible.
Next week we will cover the early settlement of Delaware and its connection to the colonies and later United States.
Until next time,
William
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