Flood — Eastern Monmouth, New Jersey

2005-10-13 to 2005-10-14 · Eastern Monmouth, New Jersey

Wider weather episode

Heavy rain associated with a low pressure system southeast of New Jersey moved into Monmouth County on the 13th. Three day storm totals (from the 11th through the 14th) in the county averaged between four and eleven inches with the highest amounts near the coast. This led to flooding on area creeks and rivers. The flooding was exacerbated by the strong onshore flow that slowed the water's escape into the ocean. Matters were complicated further when dams failed on both Spring Lake and Mill Pond and Deal Lake overflowed. Nearly twelve hundred people were evacuated and a state of emergency was declared. The flooding on the 8th and 9th and the flooding during this week damaged over 2,700 single family homes, over 640 apartment units and 220 businesses throughout the state of New Jersey. In Asbury Park and Loch Arbour Village, Deal Lake overflowed and forced the evacuation of about 65 homes in Loch Arbour and 30 homes in Asbury Park. Gas service was shut to the homes in Asbury Park. In Eatontown Borough, Eatoncrest Apartments flooded as water was three to four feet deep in areas. In Belmar Borough, flooding occurred along Lake Como and along the Shark River. About 100 people were evacuated near the Shark River. A levee along the river broke. Lake Como flooding also affected Spring Lake Borough. In Monmouth Beach, flooding along the Shrewsbury River affected several blocks. In Ocean Township, flooding along the Poplar Brook caused the evacaution of the entire 104 unit Poplar Village Senior Citizens Center. After the brook receded, twenty-two units were deemed uninhabitable. Many carpets, furniture and appliances were ruined. In Rumson Borough, flooding along the Shrewsbury River closed roads near the Sea Bright-Rumson Bridge. In Howell Township, seven units of the Friendship Gardens (Senior Citizen) complex were evacuated as the North Branch of the Metedeconk River flooded. Metedeconk River flooding also affected Freehold and Wall Townships. The failure of a dam on Wreck Pond caused the flooding of Spring Lake Borough, Spring Lake Heights Borough, Sea Girt and Wall Township. A mandatory evacuation of Spring Lake Borough was implemented at 11 a.m. EDT on the 14th. About 150 families evacuated. People were trapped between the pond and the ocean. High water vehicles, rowboats and front end loaders carried people on the south end of the borough to safety. Dozens of homes were flooded, mainly along Ocean Road and Union Avenue. The borough sewage treatement plant flooded. Saint Catherine's Grammar School was hit hard with up to two and a half feet of water on its first floor. In Spring Lake Heights Borough Shore Road and Jersey Avenue flooded with cars under water. In Wall Township, the cost of repairing the Wreck Pond Dam was estimated at $4.2 million dollars. The Brighton Avenue Bridge was also damaged. About 11 homes were evacuated, three were classified as uninhabitable. Elsewhere in the township, flooding along Whalepond Brook inundated Branch Road. On the other side of the township, a dam breach on Mill Pond within Allaire State Park caused significant water damage and a roadway collapse in the Historic Village within the park. Only the general purposes building was flooded within the Historic Village.The Manasquan River at Squankum reached its 7.5 foot flood stage at 145 p.m. EDT on the 13th, crested at 9.62 feet at 1115 a.m. EDT on the 14th and was back within bankful at 1053 p.m. EDT on the 14th. Specific storm totals included 11.58 inches in Manasquan and 10.15 inches in Tinton Falls.The old frontal boundary that produced the heavy rain on the 8th stalled in the nearby Atlantic. A series of low pressure systems lifted north along this boundary. Moisture from dissipated tropical depression number 22 was ingested into this system from near Bermuda. A high pressure system over nearby Canada and New England helped block any northward or eastward progression of the frontal boundary and the low pressure systems until the 14th.

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Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5477858. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.