Nor’easter lashes Jersey Shore with flooding, high winds

A slow-moving nor’easter battered the Jersey Shore on Sunday, driving seawater into coastal streets and forcing local fishing fleets to remain docked as warnings stretched along the Atlantic seaboard.

The storm, crawling northward along the coast, combined high tides with sustained onshore winds to push water into low-lying areas from Cape May through Monmouth County.

Emergency officials reported flooded roadways in several shore communities, with the highest impacts occurring during the morning high tide cycle.

Coastal flood warnings remained in effect through the evening as the system lingered offshore, its forward progress stalled by a blocking pattern in the upper atmosphere. Forecasters warned that additional rounds of tidal flooding were likely with the next high tide cycle.

The nor’easter’s slow pace has amplified its effects, allowing water to pile up along the coast through multiple tide cycles rather than draining between them.

Sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph, with higher gusts, have compounded the flooding threat by preventing bays and back bays from draining properly.

For the region’s commercial fishing industry, the storm has meant an involuntary pause during one of the busiest seasons.

Fleets in ports including Point Pleasant and Barnegat Light have remained tied to their docks, unable to safely navigate inlet passages where breaking waves and shoaling have made transit hazardous.

The storm is expected to gradually weaken and move offshore by Monday, though coastal flooding concerns may persist through at least one more high tide cycle.

Officials urged residents in flood-prone areas to avoid driving through standing water and to monitor local emergency notifications.

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For those seeking diversion as the weather clears, fall activities are underway across the region.

Farms throughout the state are hosting harvest-season attractions including pumpkin trains and apple picking, while Six Flags Great Adventure has opened its annual Fright Fest with Halloween-themed mazes and attractions.

New Jersey will finally get a stretch of nice, dry weather starting Tuesday, Sept. 29, with conditions improving steadily through the rest of the week.