Ocean City businesses, residents hunker down as Tropical Storm Ophelia brings heavy rain, wind

OCEAN CITY, N.J. - In Ocean City, New Jersey, many are keeping a close eye on the storm rolling in. It is the calm before the storm as some say. Only, it is already not so calm. Signs of high wind rolling in as the forecast is calling for up to 50 mile per hour wind gusts Saturday and several inches of rain expected. Those combined could lead to flooding.

"Just trying to get the toys out of the water so that the storm doesn't wash them away," said Tom Montague. He and his wife, Nancy, came from Bucks County to Ocean City Friday evening to get his jet ski.

"What was that like?" asked FOX 29’s Shawnette Wilson.

"A little windy. A little choppy but fun. It is always fun on the jet ski," said Tom. They are heading back to hunker down at home Saturday.

"I would've like to do some yard work, but I don't think that's going to happen. So I will probably just clean inside and probably get all the outside furniture in while we can," said Nancy.

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Businesses have the same idea. George's Surfside Grille, on the boardwalk, brought in chairs and workers as a municipal lot took up signs.

"What are your plans tomorrow?" Wilson asked.

"To stay in. Catch up on housework and things," said a woman named Patty. She is one of many people who packed the parking lot of Acme to stock up for a stormy Saturday. Mike Doyle came out with a shopping cart of water.

"I live down the street and we get flooding and sometimes our water gets shut off, you know? I do not know," Doyle said.

"It is better to be prepared for sure. Have you been following the storm?" Wilson asked.

"A little bit. Yeah, I mean, I just kind of look out the window and it has been a little bit concerning the last hour," said Doyle.

It is also concerning for businesses like Dockside Kitchen which closed its patio Friday. Workers say they had only one reservation Friday night for inside dining ahead of closing for the day Saturday.

Out of concern over flooding city lots are open for people who need to move their cars to higher ground ahead of Saturday’s weather.