ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — Mild to moderate coastal flooding is expected in towns along the Jersey Shore as a storm batters the East Coast. Flooding and wind damage could intensify over the next couple of days.
This is a new coastal storm that formed over the weekend, according to NBC 10 Meteorologist Steve Sosna. It is not from the direct remnants of Hurricane Ian.
“However, this coastal storm has [absorbed] the moisture from leftovers of Ian, which will make the downpours heavy at times,” Sosna said.
Aside from a few lulls, the storm has brought steady rain and wind that have caused some trouble at the Jersey Shore. In Atlantic City, there is significant ponding in some of the flood-prone areas, including some intersections that have built up of several inches of rainfall.
Atlantic City Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator Scott Evans said the low tide actually looked more like high tide Monday morning. He expects it to worsen by the time the actual high tide comes.
“We’re gonna see a lot of intersections closed later this afternoon. We’re gonna see Route 30, Route 40 closed as well. So traffic is gonna get real messy,” he said.
“We would just ask people to stay home. If you don’t have to go out, just stay home. And if you live in the low-lying areas, move your car to higher ground.”
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The big concern is Monday and Tuesday afternoons, when there is a coastal flood warning in effect. The same pattern has been occurring the last few days as this system hovers over the area. Tides are not receding because of the strong wind, so it’s significantly higher than usual.
He says high tide, at around 4 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, could bring significant flooding, especially the back bays.
“We’ve had a lot of street closures due to some of the minor flooding in the past,” he said. “One of the biggest resources that have been hit hard for our city is the beach. We’ve seen beach erosion.”
Emergency crews will also be standing by. The soaked ground and fierce wind mean power could go out.
“We’ve been pounded for the last three days,” Evans added, “so we’re concerned about a lot of the power lines. We’re concerned about losing electricity.”
Evans urged the public to respect Mother Nature and turn away from flood waters.
“Please take this storm seriously,” said Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small. He said residents should move their cars to higher ground if they live in an area prone to flooding.
“It’s not a matter of if you should move your car; it’s when you should move your car,” Small said.
The city will be using a new alert system, sounding sirens to indicate that it is time to move their cars immediately.
Parking is free for city residents at The Wave Parking Garage until Thursday afternoon for residents who want to keep their cars safe until the weather is clear.
According to the National Weather Service, the coastal flood warning is in effect until 9 p.m. Tuesday for Atlantic, Cape May and Ocean counties in New Jersey, as well as Sussex and Kent counties in Delaware.
A high surf advisory is also in effect until midnight Tuesday, and a high rip current risk through Tuesday evening.
High tides are also a concern along the Delaware River, specifically around 9 p.m. Monday, 10 p.m. Tuesday and 11 p.m. Wednesday. Flooding could begin an hour or so before. Tides are forecast to approach 9 feet in Philadelphia and 10 feet in Burlington, New Jersey.