N.J. Blizzard: Flooding Hits Ocean City; Access to Causeways Closed

Ocean City, NJ -- Access to all causeways leading Ocean City have been closed after Saturday morning’s high tide brought flooding to the island.

The water level at the Bayside Center reached 8.04 feet mean low water, according to Ocean City officials. Following the morning high tide, water began to flow into the streets and freeze.

This is slightly higher than the flooding Ocean City experienced during the storm in October, when tides were 7.3 feet high. It’s two feet lower than experienced during Superstorm Sandy, and on par with flooding experienced during the Nor’easter of 2009.

By comparison, Wildwood crested at 9.4 feet on Saturday, according to the Press of Atlantic City.

The evening high tide is set for 7:54 p.m. The Sunday morning high tide is set for 8:11 a.m.

Additionally, officials are reminding residents not to drive.

“By declaring a state of emergency, Gov. Chris Christie is urging all nonessential personnel to keep roads clear of traffic so as not to interfere with law enforcement and emergency responders,” officials said Saturday afternoon. “Many streets in Ocean City are covered, and driving through flood waters risks damage to both personal vehicles and to properties near flooded streets.Ocean City is experiencing extremely high tides, and Coastal Flood, High Wind and Winter Storm warnings remain in effect through Sunday morning.”

Earlier in the day, New Jersey State Police said they were participating in multiple car rescues along the Jersey Shore, including the one depicted below.

Great Channel and Stone Harbor each broke flood records set during Superstorm Sandy, according to The Weather Channel. Delaware Bay also recorded record flooding.

To see how the beach is faring, check out the Live Beach Cam in Ocean City.

There were 5-6 inches of snow on the ground, and winds reached 50 mph, with wind gusts of 66 mph.

There were over 21,000 people in Cape May County without power Saturday morning, according to Atlantic City Electric’s Outage Map. There were another 11,000 people without power in Atlantic County.

Anyone who experiences outages should call the following numbers:

• Atlantic City Electric: 800-833-7476
• South Jersey Gas: 888-766-9900
• Comcast Cable: 800-COMCAST (800-266-2278)

For Police and Fire Department emergencies, call 911. For non-emergencies, call 609-399-9111 or 609-399-6111.

Check here for a list of closings and cancellations in Ocean City.

Flooding has been reported in the following locations in the region, according to 511nj.org:

• Route 52 North at Shore Road in Somers Point. All lanes are closed;
• Route 40 in both directions between Franklin Avenue and West of the Atlantic City Expressway in Egg Harbor Township. All lanes are closed;
• Garden State Parkway at Exit 17 in Dennis Township. On-ramp is closed; and
• Garden State Parkway at Exit 4 in Middle Township. Ramp closed.

Check back with Ocean City Patch for updates throughout the day.

For the latest local updates on the storm sign up for breaking news alerts from Patch.

The attached images from 14th and Bay were provided by resident Jared Lenko