A nor’easter is bringing heavy rain, flooding and strong winds to the Jersey Shore, with roads closed in North Wildwood, New Jersey and other areas. Videos show flooded streets as coastal communities face worsening conditions.
New Jersey Gov Mikie Sherrill declared a state of emergency for eight counties on Friday as the powerful nor'easter moved into the region, as per abc7ny.com. The order covers Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Cumberland, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean and Salem counties, where forecasters expect the storm to hit the hardest.
The declaration activates the State Emergency Operations Center. It also puts the New Jersey State Police, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Transportation and county emergency management offices into coordinated response.
Nor'easter Brings Severe Flooding to Jersey Shore
Deep Dive
What areas in New Jersey are most affected by the current nor'easter flooding?
Why is the flooding in Surf City escalating during the nor'easter?
How are local authorities responding to the emergency declared due to the nor'easter?
A First Alert is in place for the Jersey Shore until Sunday as a nor'easter hits the Philadelphia region. The storm caused heavy flooding across the shore on Friday night, and coastal flooding continued into Saturday.
The coastline is facing the worst of the storm, with ongoing minor to moderate coastal flooding, beach erosion, strong wind gusts, and the heaviest rain totals.
{{/usCountry}}The coastline is facing the worst of the storm, with ongoing minor to moderate coastal flooding, beach erosion, strong wind gusts, and the heaviest rain totals.
{{/usCountry}}Rain is expected on and off across the region throughout Saturday. There may be a break Saturday evening and night, but heavier rain could return Sunday morning. The low-pressure system is expected to move away Sunday night, with conditions slowly improving by Monday morning.
Videos show North Wildwood flooding
North Wildwood in Cape May County is dealing with severe flooding that has shut down roads, according to 511NJ. Flooding on NJ 147 has closed all lanes in both directions.
Here are the videos:
Other road closures across the shore
Flooding has closed several other roads across the region. According to 511NJ, flooding on US 9 between California Avenue in Pleasantville and north of Nacote Creek in Port Republic has shut down all lanes in both directions. A downed tree in Winslow Township has also closed part of NJ 73 North, as per Courier Post.
In Atlantic City, several intersections are impassable, including Albany Avenue at West End Avenue, Ventnor Avenue at Albany Avenue, and Mississippi Avenue at Fairmount Avenue. Both sides of the Albany Avenue Bridge are also closed.
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Coastal flood warning remains in effect
According to the National Weather Service, a Coastal Flood Warning is in effect until 2pm EDT Sunday for Atlantic and Cape May counties.
A High Surf Advisory is in place until 8pm EDT Sunday, and a High Rip Current Risk warning lasts through Sunday evening.
The NWS said one to two feet of flooding is possible above ground level in low-lying areas near shorelines, and waves in the surf zone could reach up to 10 feet.
Officials warned that widespread road flooding is expected in coastal and bayside communities, and some damage to weaker structures may occur. Significant beach erosion is expected, and sand dunes could be breached.
Residents can check the flood map here.
Strong winds and power outages
A high wind warning is in effect for Atlantic and Cape May counties. Wind gusts could reach up to 60 mph on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. North winds are expected to reach 30 to 40 mph.
The NWS warned that the strong winds could bring down trees and power lines, causing widespread power outages.
As of Saturday morning, Atlantic City Electric reported 322 active outages affecting 6,966 customers. PSE&G reported 180 active outages affecting 2,372 customers. JCP&L reported 21,171 customers without power.