Thunderstorms threatening Mother’s Day

Thunderstorms with up to 55 mph wind gusts and localized flooding are expected to sweep through New Jersey making a wet Mother’s Day weekend.

Residents should plan extra time if they are traveling for Mother’s Day, as a coastal storm is expected to hit the region through the weekend.

The National Weather Service said to expect up to three inches of rainfall to soak New Jersey over the course of three days.

With storm-force winds expected across most of the state north of Atlantic City, chilly conditions, heavy rain and coastal flooding are in the forecast.

“Up to two feet of inundation above ground level possible in low-lying areas near shorelines and tidal waterways,” said a National Weather Service flood watch statement. “At this level, widespread roadway flooding occurs in coastal and bayside communities and along inland tidal waterways. Many roads become impassable. Some damage to vulnerable structures may begin to occur.”

Make sure you have a plan in case of severe weather, including where to take shelter.

Have multiple ways of receiving National Weather Service watches and warnings, via smartphone wireless emergency alerts, a reliable weather app and NOAA weather radio.

“It appears as though our first threat of coastal flooding with be with Saturday night’s high tide,” said the National Weather Service’s Mount Holly office. “There is the potential for widespread minor flooding and perhaps a fair amount of moderate flooding at that time. Additional rounds of tidal flooding are possible into the early part of the new week.”

Those heavy winds blowing from the north and east could cause minor to moderate coastal flooding, along with big waves that may pound the Jersey Shore hard enough to cause beach erosion, the weather service said.

Some rivers and streams also could rise high and trigger flooding in localized areas that get hit with heavy rain over a short time.