Nor’easter Flooding Prompts Road Closures, Warnings

Long Beach Blvd. in Brant Beach. (Photo courtesy of the Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol)
Massachusetts Avenue and Route 70 (Photo by Catherine Galioto)

OCEAN COUNTY – The January 23 nor’easter pelted the Jersey Shore with high winds and heavy rains, prompting alerts for road closures, power outages and flooding.

The evening high tide after a day of rain created a mess for commuters and residents as local police and offices of emergency management sent a flurry of updates on conditions and cancellations.

The backbay high tide is expected around 4:30 a.m. January 24, forecasters warned.

The National Weather Service Mount Holly warned of coastal flooding and damaging winds expected through 11 a.m. January 24.

Several OEM alerts urged residents to move vehicles to higher ground and prepare for possible power outages.

Photo courtesy of the Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol

Winds were forecast at 25 to 35 mph with gusts 60 to 65 mph, with a high tide expected to surge around 3 to 4 feet above the astronomical tide January 23 and possibly around 3 feet early January 24, creating waves around 15 to 20 feet.

Among the impacts of the nor’easter:

South Green Street in Tuckerton was closed to nonresidents, for south of Marshall Avenue, with reports of downed power lines.

In Barnegat, Bayshore Drive is closed near the bathing beach due to flooding after 4:23 p.m. Police urged drivers to avoid the area.

On Long Beach Island, the area between 32nd Street and 92nd Street is closed along Long Beach Boulevard after 6:45 p.m. due to flooding. Police advised the road is impassable.

In Little Egg Harbor, police advised parking was available at Freedom Fields County Park on Route 539 for vehicles that need to be moved to higher ground

Flooding closed portions of Bay Avenue near Toms River High School North, and on Old Freehold Road near the YMCA, with police redirecting traffic at 7 p.m.

Traffic signals were out for a portion of the afternoon along Route 70 in Manchester and Toms River.