Ocean City Area Recovers From 1 Storm, Braces For Florence

OCEAN CITY, NJ — The Ocean City area is recovering from one storm while preparing for the possibility of a major hurricane this weekend. Meanwhile, the Lobster House in Cape May is assuring the world it is open after a picture that made the rounds on social media over the weekend showed major flooding in the area.

“We saw a dire looking flood pic of us floating around on FB,” the restaurant said in a Facebook post. “We are fine. Some minor flooding last night, but cleaned up and opened for lunch today.”

The photo in question shows flood water that appeared to go halfway up the door to the establishment during Sunday night’s storm. The owners told nj.com they are used to flooding, and know what to do when it happens.

Flooding posed a problem in Cape May, Ocean City and much of the rest of the Jersey Shore over the last two days. On Tuesday in Ocean City, a Coastal Flood Advisory remained in effect until 3 p.m., and a High Rip Current Risk was in effect until 9 p.m.

Ocean City has moved its 9/11 remembrance ceremony indoors due to the weather forecast. It begins at 6 p.m. at the Ocean City Tabernacle. It had been scheduled to take place outside, in front of the fire department headquarters between Fifth and Sixth streets.

Read more here: Images Depict Severe Flooding With Latest Storm In Ocean City

As Ocean City recovers from one storm, attention is beginning to turn to Hurricane Florence. South Jersey has less than a 15 percent chance of even getting tropical-storm-force winds related to the Category 4 storm, according to the National Weather Service. Nonetheless, preparations are being made for just that possibility.

Read more here: Gov. Murphy Updates NJ On Hurricane Florence's Potential Impact

“The city team is tracking Hurricane Florence, which could bring destructive winds and extreme rainfall to the East Coast by the end of the week,” Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian said. “Hurricane Florence remains on a track that would bring the powerful storm to the Carolinas late Thursday or early Friday. Even though it appears that Ocean City will be spared the worst of the wind, rain and storm surge, I ask all of you to continue to pay attention. Florence is a big system, and a slight turn in its path could make a big difference for Ocean City. I also ask you to join me in thoughts and prayers for all of those who are leaving their homes and evacuating ahead of this dangerous hurricane.

“Preparation for this storm reminds me of the Tuesday exactly 17 years ago when police, firefighters, doctors, hospitals, clergy, businesses, family, friends, neighbors and all Americans came together in the aftermath of the attacks on the World Trade Center. It is times like these that remind us that our small world is much better for all the men and women who are willing to sacrifice so much in the service of others.”

Gillian said he will be providing daily updates as the city braces for the possibility of the storm hitting New Jersey.

Atlantic City Electric has its full emergency response organization ready, the electric company said. Employees and local contractors have inspected equipment, reviewed procedures and assembled staffing plans to ensure around-the-clock support to respond to any potential impacts from this storm.

In addition to more than 145 internal line workers, Atlantic City Electric has an additional 100 overhead line contractors and 225 tree-trimming personnel, as well as crews from its sister utilities Delmarva Power and Pepco available to assist in any needed restoration effort.

The company is also partnering with city or county or state government to ensure safety and service to greatest extent possible. Should extra assistance be required, the company will call on shared resources from its Exelon family, including Baltimore Gas & Electric, PECO in Philadelphia, and ComEd in Chicago.

It also offered the following tips:

Preparation tips:

• Have a flashlight with fresh batteries on each floor of your home.
• Keep a supply of bottled water and easy-to-prepare, non-perishable foods available.
• Charge cell phones and other mobile devices in advance.
• Have an updated emergency supply kit. Keep a portable radio or TV, or NOAA weather radio (with batteries) on hand to monitor weather forecasts and official information.

Safety tips:

• Stay away from downed wires and assume any downed wire or damaged electric equipment is energized.
• Do not enter basements that are flooded, because water at certain levels can be energized.
• Stay away from any flood-covered electric equipment in neighborhoods, even if there is no electricity in the area.
• When using a personal generator, never keep it indoors or inside an attached garage. A portable generator is an internal combustion engine that exhausts a deadly gas called carbon monoxide or CO.

• Also, do not connect a generator directly to the home's wiring. If a generator is plugged into the electrical circuits of a home, power can back-feed onto the local energy grid and cause severe injuries.
• Customers are also encouraged to identify a safe alternate location where they can stay in case of an extended outage.
• Stay tuned to local news broadcasts for the latest weather and emergency information and follow the advice of local emergency management officials.

To report an outage or downed wire, customers should call 1-800-833-7476 or customers can report and track their outage through our mobile app or our website at atlanticcityelectric.com.

If outages do occur, crews will assess the damage and assign an estimated restoration time. Depending on the extent of damages, restorations times can change. For example, when Atlantic City Electric crews arrive on site and assess damage for an outage, customers receive an updated estimated restoration time. The company then continues to update the estimated restoration time as crews complete their work.

More information about how to prepare can be found on the “Storm Readiness” section of atlanticcityelectric.com.

The attached image of 32nd Street at Bay Avenue was posted in the Ocean City, NJ Flooding Facebook group, and used with permission.