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RON TARVER / Staff Photographer
Susan McLaughlin and Jerry Batten of Avalon venture out on the Avalon sea wall to take photos of the Nor'easter that has battered the Jersey shore.
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Posted on Fri, Nov. 13, 2009


Storm brings flooding to the Shore

By Peter Mucha and Anthony R. Wood

Inquirer Staff Writers

A nor'easter hammered the Jersey Shore for a second day this morning, flooding streets along the coast and damaging beaches with pounding surf and lashing winds.

Cape May County appeared to be the hardest hit with waters from back bays swirling through streets during this morning's high tide. The 8.21 tide measured on the oceanfront was the highest since February 1978, and the sixth highest on record.

Around daybreak, virtually all of Avalon was under water, with the water 4 feet deep behind the borough hall downtown. Many streets in Sea Isle City and Wildwood also were under water, although the waters receded as rain relented, according to police.

Several bridges, including both the Ninth and 34th Street spans into Ocean City, were closed by the flooding. Among the roads closed this morning were the Black Horse Pike (Route 322) into Atlantic City, Route 52 into Ocean City, and Rio Grande Avenue into Wildwood.

Schools were closed in Wildwood, Cape May, Ocean City and Absecon.

National Guard troops evacuated some residents in high riding Army trucks.

The flooding was most severe along the back-bay areas, said Cape May County emergency-management spokeswoman Lenore Boninfante. With winds driving waves landward, the bays had difficulty draining.

As of 11 a.m., the Shore had been battered by onshore winds for 54 consecutive hours. Atlantic City reported a peak wind gust of 59 m.p.h.; Cape May, 50, and a 60 was measured 30 miles off Cape May. The peak gust at Philadelphia International Airport was 60, according to the National Weather Service.

Although Wildwood's flooding was its deepest in years, Sgt. Jim Nanos was taking it in stride.

"It's a way of life when you live down here," he said. "When you get high winds and high water, you adjust your life accordingly."

Some cars, however, were likely damaged by the high water because their owners failed to move them, despite the warning sirens, he said.

Service on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry was suspended until at least 11 a.m. because of choppy seas in the Delaware Bay.

More flooding is expected at the second high tide later today.

A coastal flood warning issued by the National Weather Service remains in effect until 10 tomorrow morning.

Officials fear the Shore could endure its worst flooding since the mid 1990s.

The Coast Guard in the meantime has called off a search for three men lost at sea after their commercial fishing boat sank Wednesday night in rough seas 20 miles off Cape May.

 


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Comments   
Posted 08:25 AM, 11/13/2009
Kenny Junod
rain
Posted 09:11 AM, 11/13/2009
TomTheCork
Question: Have you seen Ocean City's 9th Street Beach lately? Answer: Sure, It's in Wildwood... As they say "you shouldn't mess with Mother Nature".
Posted 09:41 AM, 11/13/2009
inquisitor
dude, it's your grandson! savor the time and take him somewhere fun, not to the freakin' beach to watch caostal flooding!
Posted 10:02 AM, 11/13/2009
2012 ~ Ron Paul
The Island is sinking...it really is
Posted 10:34 AM, 11/13/2009
junethe4th
I guess the taxpayers will foot the bill for restoration of the beaches. Then those shore towns will turn around and charge us more to use what is left of their postage size beaches. Let the ocean claim what is her's.
Posted 05:15 PM, 11/13/2009
Gary from Delco
I've had a place on Long Beach Island since the 1960's including a beachfront on the North end of the island. I called two people there today who live there year round. "There-is-no-flooding" they said and they rent from me. I think low elevation areas (Ship Bottom)and southernmost areas of the "shore" may get flooding, but don't believe all the reporting hype. KYW reporter (maybe it was Al Gore) reported that it was like the Storm of 1992. Not on LBI.
Posted 07:53 PM, 11/13/2009
LuckyDog
Wow. Kenny Junod, that is so deep. Groovy.
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