On Sunday afternoon, July 24th, the Wildwood Beach Patrol decided to close the beach at 2:20 on a sunny day! They chased everyone completely off the beach, not just out of the water. This decision was based on a radar report that severe weather was heading our way. The storm in Wildwood never materialized! We had about a minute of light rain almost 2 hours after the beach was cleared! This, after many sweltering days of heat that brought many tourists from the Philadelphia area for a much needed trip to the beach! I would say this outrageously erred on the side of caution and ruined numerous visitors plans! I have spent many summers on this beach and have never seen the beach cleared when the storm was so far away. A call to the beach tent informed us there was lightening. There was no lightening over Wildwood, it was only at a distance. I am seriously questioning the judgement of the captain. I am sure insurance was a driving force behind it but let’s use a bit more common sense when making decisions in the future. You looked like idiots with that call!
Charla Lewis
