Published on Oct. 10 | Updated on Oct. 13
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ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — The Jersey shore got walloped by a nor'easter this weekend with heavy rain, strong winds and flooded streets.
In Ocean City, the waves angrily ate away at the beach on Monday, with water rising all the way to the dunes near 11th street.
The roads were also flooded, especially the bay side of the island, where several streets and even the sidewalks were hidden under water.
As advised by officials when a state of emergency went into effect on Saturday at 10 p.m., many people stayed away from travel. Many establishments were closed.
This storm brought higher water levels than the recent surge from Hurricane Erin.
Acting Gov. Tahesha Way issued the emergency that will last through Monday. Rain is expected to peter out by Tuesday.
“I urge all New Jerseyans to exercise caution, monitor local weather forecasts and warnings, stay informed on evacuation protocols, and remain off the roads unless absolutely necessary,” Way said, noting the order will remain in effect “until it is determined that an emergency no longer exists.”
Forecasters warned of flash flooding, damaging winds of up to 60 mph, and about 1 to 3 inches of rain. There were also risks for serious beach erosion and potential dune breaches.
“We’ll probably see the worst of the storm from very early Sunday morning into Monday morning. It could be three tide cycles,” said Michael Famularo, with Atlantic City’s Office of Emergency Management.
The NWS also warned of possible power outages. Accuweather said there will be the possibility of a storm surge as high as 4 to 5 feet in some beach communities and over the back bays.
Officials urged residents to exercise caution, monitor local weather warnings, and stay off the roads unless necessary.
In the event of an emergency evacuation, local, county or state emergency management officials will notify your neighborhood through Emergency Alert System messages on the radio and TV, or reverse 911 systems, which send messages to home phones. A list of evacuation routes can be found here.