Fireworks and water don’t mix

Fireworks and water don’t mix

Chalk it up to another casualty of Hurricane Sandy — three years later.

A New Jersey beach town canceled its July 4 fireworks after a rogue wave splashed into the launch site.

Officials in Seaside Heights, New Jersey said in a Facebookpost that under state regulations,they had to keep the launch site at least 120 feet away from the spectators who gathered on the boardwalk to watch the Independence Day display.

Unfortunately, the tides were higher and rougher than anticipated. Awave made it to within 110 feet of the boardwalk, officials said.

“Wet fireworks = no fireworks,” they wrote.

Officials noted that the beach has been significantly shorter sinceHurricane Sandy in 2012, and setting up fireworks had been a challenge since then.

Several Facebook commentersurged the town to consider launching fireworks from a barge.

“We drove all the way from York, PA today to watch the fireworks at Seaside Heights, only to get disappointed that they got canceled,” Charles R. Sweitzer posted on Facebook.”What a waste of a 3 hour trip. Never again will I visit Seaside Heights, I will go back to vacationing in Ocean City, MD.”

The New Jersey beach town is a popular destination for Philadelphia residents. Damage to the town in Sandy produced iconic photographs of a rollercoaster that had fallen into the sea.In addition to being battered by Sandy, the town was the scene of a major boardwalk fire in 2013.