Ida whacks Shore; 3 more fishermen lost

Fears of tidal flooding prompted officials on the South Jersey coast last night to declare a state of emergency, allowing them to use the National Guard to evacuate people if need be.

The state of emergency took effect in Cape May County at 6 p.m.

Forecasters said that strong winds from the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida could cause the worst tidal flooding in years.

The heavy onshore winds do not allow tidal waters to drain normally from back bays, and that creates the potential for flooding in the barrier-island resort communities.

By 8 p.m., portions of several busy roads, including the Black Horse Pike and the White Horse Pike near Atlantic City, were closed, as was the Route 52 causeway into Ocean City.

Cape May County Emergency Management officials said the bridge connecting Avalon and Sea Isle City would be closed indefinitely.

County Communications Director Lenora Boninfante said the span, the Townsends Inlet Bridge, has been closed because a barge being used to repair the structure was stuck underneath it after breaking loose from its moorings Wednesday night.

Officials said that a crew will try to secure the barge after midnight tonight, when the tide is expected to be at its lowest.

In Delaware, power outages were reported and at least two inches of rain had fallen in parts of the state.

Some low-lying areas were already flooded, and wind gusts were as high as 55 mph.

Meanwhile, the Coast Guard yesterday ended its search for the three crewmen of a commercial-fishing boat that sank off Cape May on Wednesday.

The presumed deaths of the captain and two others aboard the 44-foot Sea Tractor bring to nine the number of commercial fishermen based in Cape May who have died at sea this year.

Boats, planes and helicopters began searching the storm-tossed sea since shortly after the boat went down about 7:30 p.m. in treacherous weather due in part to Ida.

There were no plans to resume searching this morning, when conditions were expected to be even worse, a Coast Guard spokeswoman said.

Seas were topping 20 feet in the search area yesterday.

"This is nine guys now. This is really hitting home, and it hurts," said Bruce Barto, who knew the Sea Tractor crew for 22 years through his marine-supply business.

Missing and presumed lost are Kenneth Rose Jr., 49, the captain of the boat; his 75-year-old father, Kenneth Sr., and crew member Larry Forrest, 55. Friends and co-workers said all three are from North Carolina.

A sinking in March claimed the Lady Mary - another North Carolina-based boat that operated out of Cape May - killing six of the seven crew members on board.

A joint Coast Guard-National Transportation Safety Board investigation is continuing to determine the cause of that sinking.