Jersey Shore dries out after coastal flooding

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly has issued a coastal flood warning for Ocean County till 2 a.m. Sunday.

The warning coincides with a rising tide that’s anticipated to peak simply earlier than 8 p.m. Friday.

The climate service warns that one to 2 ft of inundation above floor degree in low-lying areas close to shorelines and tidal waterways is predicted.

The warning contains Atlantic County and the portion of southeastern Burlington County that features Bass River Township.

“At this level, widespread roadway flooding occurs in coastal and bayside communities and along inland tidal waterways,” the climate service stated in its warning. “Many roads become impassable. Some damage to vulnerable structures may begin to occur. At this level, flooding begins on the most vulnerable roads in coastal and bayside communities, and along inland tidal waterways. Some partial or full road closures are possible.”

A coastal flood warning implies that reasonable or main tidal flooding is happening or imminent. The public within the affected space needs to be ready for rising water ranges and take applicable motion to guard life and property. The directions or suggestions of native emergency administration officers needs to be adopted, the climate service stated.

“Do not drive your vehicle through flood waters,” the climate service warns. “The water may be deeper than you think it is. You will be putting yourself in danger and your vehicle may be damaged, leading to costly repairs.”

Monmouth County is underneath a coastal flood advisory till 1 a.m. Saturday, that whereas not as extreme as a warning, implies that minor tidal flooding is predicted which may necessitate some street closures.

A excessive rip present danger is in impact for each counties and the general public is reminded to not enter the ocean when lifeguards are off responsibility.

Stanley Dziuba, head of Long Branch’s Office of Emergency Management, stated town’s seashores are largely intact as we speak.

The ocean’s waves did knock among the cabanas on the non-public Promenade Beach Club off their foundations, shuffling them round. Dziuba stated the membership has cranes out, placing them again in place. The metropolis’s seashores although, didn’t see any important erosion. He stated there are lots of people on the seaside as we speak sunbathing, however the seashores stay underneath purple flag warnings for no swimming. Dzuiba stated they’ve made no selections but on Saturday and can make that decision within the morning so far as opening the seashores to swimming.

Monmouth Beach Mayor Timothy Somers stated Hurricane Erin’s tides and waves carried away about 50% of their seaside.

“We didn’t fare very well. In the last 72 hours our beach has shrunk by half in both length and height,” Somers stated.

In their bother erosion or “hot spots” as they’re referred to as, between the Monmouth Beach Bathing Pavilion and the high-rise condominiums, the water got here proper up the seaside wall, which Somers stated the ocean hasn’t performed in a while.

Somers, together with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers representatives and Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J. had walked this space two years in the past, the final time seaside fill was added, and various erosion measures equivalent to jetty groins for that space have been mentioned.

There was some river flooding on the road however no important property injury. Somers stated a pair folks forgot to maneuver their automobiles off the road Thursday evening, so it’s doable there was some injury to automobiles.

As far as going to the seaside, he stated persons are allowed to go on the seaside, however they’re underneath “double-red flag” for no swimming.

“Hopefully by tomorrow it will have calmed down enough so we can put out the yellow flag so people can wade in the shallow water,” Somers stated.

Bradley Beach Mayor Al Gubitosi stated the seashores are open for the general public to stroll the sand however they’re “flagged” for no swimming. He stated the ocean got here up fairly excessive final evening and reached the dunes, and among the lockers on the west facet of the dunes, however there was no injury to the lockers. The dunes survived he stated, however there was sand erosion down by the water, which they’re nonetheless assessing. He stated the Department of Public Works had lowered the extent of the borough’s two coastal lakes, Sylvan Bay and Fletcher, forward of the storm so there was no flooding from both lake. He stated there was no property injury from the storm reported to him. 

Seaside Park John A. Peterson Jr. stated litter baskets and likewise seaside mats that allowed disabled entry have been broken by the storm, however “for the most part,” all the things has been recovered.

“One of the mats got quite tangled up and unraveled,” Peterson stated. “(But) they successfully have it back.” Beaches are again open as we speak however no swimming is allowed. The waves are nonetheless fairly giant and there are robust rip currents, the mayor stated. 

“We had a lot of erosion,” Bay Head Mayor Bill Curtis stated. “The middle of town is really bad news. Harris Street, Bridge Avenue and Howe Street, those three beaches have lost a lot of the fencing and the beach is flat. There is no place to put a blanket at high tide.”

Curtis, who is just not a fan of seaside replenishment, stated he thought it was a “colossal waste of money by the federal government to do it (replenishment) the same way they did it the last time.”

Beaches are open as we speak within the borough however no swimming is allowed, Curtis stated. 

Sea Bright seashores are open for strolling, however are “double-red flagged” for swimming, meaning no one can go in the water, Mayor Brian Kelly said.

Kelly said the borough’s several private beach clubs are planned to open by mid-afternoon on Aug. 22.

There was some river flooding on the streets, particularly on Osborn Place and Peninsula Avenue, during the high tides, Kelly said. But as of mid-morning on Friday the water had subsided, and the streets were dry.

Kelly had not received any reports of damaged vehicles or property, but said the ocean did take a bite out of the beach and there was sand erosion.

“We’ll need to walk it to assess the extent of it,” Kelly stated.   

Jersey Shore begins drying out after Hurricane Erin flooding

BEACH HAVEN – While it didn’t make landfall, Hurricane Erin still left much of the Jersey Shore’s coastal communities underwater.

In Long Beach Township, nearly a mile of Long Beach Boulevard was left impenetrable due to flooding. Video showed daredevils exploring the streets in kayaks.

And in Beach Haven, video from the Bird & Betty’s nightclub showed a security guard escorting out an unwanted guest without any photo identification – a small, arm-length sandshark that rode the floodwaters into the venue’s parking lot.

“We got through it,” Beach Haven emergency management coordinator William Tromm said. “It was kind of standard, as far as how high the tides are. But now we’ve got another tide coming in this morning.”  

While Hurricane Erin – which weakened to a Category 1 hurricane overnight – is moving further away from the East Coast, the Shore is still expected to feel the storm’s impacts.

The National Weather Service is forecasting “widespread minor to moderate flooding” during high tides in all coastal areas, including back bays and tidal waterways.

Flooded roads, road closures and inundated structures are possible, the Weather Service’s Mount Holly office said in an Aug. 22 briefing.

The worst of the flooding is expected to come with the Friday evening high tide, the Weather Service said.

At the Beach Haven Yacht Club Marina, manager Jim Stellato was busy baling water out of the club’s bathrooms.

The flooding from Hurricane Erin was the worst he’s experienced in about five years, but was quick to say it was “nothing horrible.”

“It’s more of a nuisance,” Stellato said. “But there’s nothing we can do to prevent the water from going over the bulkhead.”

Check back later for more updates on this story.

Mike Davis is an investigative reporter with the Asbury Park Press, where he’s covered local news, politics, transportation and the cannabis industry. His work has changed laws, prompted government investigations and even won a few awards, which make his parents very proud. Contact him at mdavis@app.com, @byMikeDavis on social media platforms or ship an encrypted message by way of Signal @bymikedavis.22.