Coastal Flood — Eastern Cape May, New Jersey

2015-10-02 · Eastern Cape May, New Jersey

Wider weather episode

A persistent onshore flow caused periods of heavy rain, strong to high winds, beach erosion, and minor to moderate tidal flooding to occur along the Atlantic coast of New Jersey and into Delaware Bay from the 1st through the 4th. Strong winds and minor tidal flooding started with the daytime high tide cycle on the 1st. The winds and minor to moderate tidal flooding both peaked on the 2nd. Slow improvement in conditions occurred through Sunday the 4th, with only some residual minor tidal flooding occurring on the 5th along the southern New Jersey coast.

In excess of 32 million dollars in storm damage occurred along the New Jersey coast, especially along the coasts of Cape May, Ocean, and Monmouth Counties due to the prolonged wind and tidal flooding which caused extensive damage to New Jersey's coastal barrier dune system. As a result, Governor Chris Christie announced that New Jersey would request a Major Disaster Declaration under the federal Stafford Act for these three shore counties. To restore traffic flow and prevent further flooding in these counties, sand removal was performed along storm drains and roadways. In North Wildwood (Cape May County), severe beach erosion occurred leaving 5 foot or higher cliffs carved out of the dunes along sections of the beach, making those areas unsafe and inaccessible. The beaches at Mantoloking and Brick (Ocean County) were closed following the storm due to dangerous drop-offs between a protective steel flood wall and the beach. The severe beach erosion at these locations resulted in drop-offs ranging between 5 to 10 feet. Meanwhile, in the Toms River community of Ortley Beach (Ocean County) on the northern barrier island, a breach reportedly occurred in the temporary dune line the township had constructed. In Middle Township (Cape May County), a vacant and structurally unsound home was dislodged from its pilings in the Grassy Sound Channel behind North Wildwood on the 2nd, and it floated into the Intracoastal Waterway before it broke apart and settled into the marsh. No utilities were connected to the home, and no injuries were reported.

Storm damage and power outages were also reported into other parts of southern and central New Jersey. In the Pleasant Valley Crossroads area north of Colts Neck (Monmouth County), a 46 year-old woman was killed when a tree fell onto her car as she drove south on Route 34 between Clover Hill Road and Highfield Lane on the 3rd. The tree was reported to be rotted and likely fell due to the combination of saturated ground and strong winds. The Seaside Park Fire Department (Ocean County) rescued a 40 year-old man who was sailing his 22-foot Angler boat in Barnegat Bay. The boat's engine had failed, and it was adrift off 14th Avenue. Meanwhile, in Keyport Harbor off the Cliffwood Beach section of Aberdeen Township (Monmouth County), three sailboats came loose from their moorings on the afternoon of the 3rd. Tugboats were dispatched to the area to round up the vessels. In Pennsville (Salem County), a large falling tree limb was the cause of a major power outage that left more than 3,300 Atlantic City Electric customers in the dark for a couple of hours the evening of the 2nd. Other scattered power outages also occurred across portions of southern to central New Jersey during the height of the storm on the 2nd and 3rd.

Minor tidal flooding began with the day and night high tide cycles on the 1st along the Atlantic coast of New Jersey and into Delaware Bay. The highest tides then occurred with the daytime high tide cycle on the 2nd, with minor tidal flooding being recorded from Atlantic County northward and moderate tidal flooding occurring along the Cape May County coast and also likely along the Cumberland County coast adjacent to Delaware Bay. Highest tides included 7.41 feet above mean lower low water at 1206 p.m. EDT on the 2nd at Sandy Hook (Monmouth County), and minor tidal flooding starts at 6.7 feet above mean lower low water. The highest level of minor tidal flooding recorded at Atlantic City (Atlantic County) was 6.75 feet above mean lower low water at 1148 a.m. EDT on the 2nd, and minor tidal flooding starts at 6.0 feet above mean lower low water. Meanwhile, moderate tidal flooding and the highest tides at Cape May (Cape May County) were recorded at 8.07 feet above mean lower low water at 1242 p.m. EDT on the 2nd, and moderate tidal flooding starts at 7.7 feet above mean lower low water. Minor tidal flooding then occurred along most of the Atlantic coast of New Jersey and into Delaware Bay with successive day and night high tide cycles through the 3rd and 4th. In addition, minor tidal flooding was also recorded along the lower part of the tidal Delaware River at Reedy Island, DE with the late afternoon high tide cycles on the 3rd and the 4th, with some minimal effects along portions of the Salem County coast. The last of the residual minor tidal flooding to occur with this event along the southern New Jersey coast affected Cape May County with the afternoon high tide on the 5th.

The peak in tidal flooding, especially from the afternoon of the 2nd through the early morning of the 3rd, also coincided with the strongest winds to affect New Jersey as most of the peak wind gusts occurred during this timeframe. Measured wind gusts to affect New Jersey included 62 mph in Cape May (Cape May County), 56 mph in Seaside Heights (Ocean County), 55 mph in Tuckerton (Ocean County), 53 mph in Ocean City (Cape May County) and in Harvey Cedars (Ocean County), 52 mph in Ship Bottom (Ocean County), 51 mph at Kite Island in Barnegat Bay (Ocean County), 48 mph at Cape May NOS buoy, 47 mph in Monmouth Beach (Monmouth County), 46 mph in Brick Township (Ocean County), 45 mph at the Atlantic City International Airport (Atlantic County), 44 mph at the Cape May County Airport (Cape May County), 43 mph in Sandy Hook (Monmouth County), and 41 mph at the Millville Municipal Airport (Cumberland County).

The tidal flooding and strong winds were caused by a strengthening pressure gradient (difference) between a strong high pressure system building across southeastern Canada and a lingering frontal boundary offshore of the Northeast and Mid Atlantic seaboard. In addition, some moisture, associated with Hurricane Joaquin passing offshore well to the south, interacted with the stalled frontal boundary, which enhanced rainfall amounts somewhat across the area. Storm total rainfall amounts averaged from 1.5 to 3.5 inches in New Jersey, with a few locally higher amounts along the coast. The pressure gradient then weakened during the day of the 4th as the high pressure across southeast Canada weakened.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 604964. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.