Storm Brings Flooding to Jersey Shore, Delaware Coast

A coastal storm that hit the area has caused some flooding at the Jersey Shore as well as the Delaware coast. Rain began falling in Delaware and extreme South Jersey late Wednesday and spread to Pennsylvania overnight. Heavy rain will continue to hit the area during the morning commute.

The National Weather Service issued a Coastal Flood Advisory for much of the coastal area and a more severe Coastal Flood Warning for parts of Atlantic and Cape May Counties as well as the southern parts of Delaware through Thursday afternoon.

Flooding already hit parts of Delaware and the Jersey Shore on Wednesday as the soggy remnants of Karen hit.

Delaware transportation officials say flooding forced the closing of Prime Hook Road in Sussex County causing the road to be closed as crews cleared flood debris.

DelDOT says crews will be stationed at Prime Hook Road on Thursday to monitor rising water levels during high tide at 1 p.m.

Other roads around the state have been closed due to flooding including Old Corbet Road east of Middletown in New Castle County and Port Mahon Road east of Dover in Kent County.

Minor tidal flooding also hit parts of the Jersey Shore on Wednesday, including North Wildwood. The slow moving coastal storm is expected to bring higher water levels on Thursday and Friday in Cape May, Atlantic and Ocean Counties.

In Ocean City Thursday morning, NBC10's Monique Braxton saw some minor flooding while reporting strong winds. Rough, storm-fueled waves caused beach erosion at high tide Wednesday night and more beach erosion is likely in the coming days.

“Surfers are in anticipation of this but homeowners are also in anxiety of it as well,” said Vanessa Burk of Ocean City.

Ocean City’s Fire Department just added eight heavy-duty trucks to its fleet that can be deployed in severe weather. The vehicles, military surplus worth $1 million that the city received for free, are capable of driving through water more than six feet deep. The vehicles will replace older and smaller trucks from the 1970s.

“We noticed our capabilities were maxed out with Superstorm Sandy,” said Ocean City Fire Chief Chris Breunig. “With the flooding we weren’t able to get into certain areas.”

Breunig says Ocean City is “110 percent” better prepared for a storm than they were last year when Sandy struck.

Forecasters are predicting widespread minor flooding during high tide fueled by onshore winds Thursday afternoon that could continue through Sunday. Heavy rain could also contribute to flooding along the roads.

A Coastal Flood Advisory will be in effect all day Thursday in Atlantic City, Cape May, Millville, Dover and Seaford. High tides, heavy rain and wind will hit the area during that time. The storm will cause more beach erosion, minor flooding and rough surf.

High tide will hit Atlantic City at 12:03 p.m., Cape May at 12:37 p.m. and Rehoboth Beach at 12:28 p.m.

Temperatures will be chilly with highs in the low 60s and winds near 20 mph. The rain will linger into Friday as well as the weekend.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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