Ocean City Residents Advised To Prepare For Effects Of Hurricane Jose

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Ocean City residents are being advised to prepare for the possible effects of Hurricane Jose over the next few days.

Hurricane Jose is expected to remain over the open water of the Atlantic Ocean as it passes by Ocean City on Tuesday, but rain and gusty winds are in the forecast for Tuesday, Sept. 19. As a result, a Coastal Flood Advisory, High Surf Advisory and Tropical Storm Watch are all in effect for Ocean City through Tuesday, Sept. 19, according to the National Weather Service.

Water levels are expected to peak in the hours around high tide on the bay side of Ocean City at 7:47 p.m. Monday night; 8:15 a.m. Tuesday morning; and 8:32 p.m. Tuesday night, city officials said in a special weather statement late Monday morning.

Forecasters project a Tuesday evening tide that could approach 7 feet on the mean low water scale. By comparison, Jonas reached 8.46 feet on the same scale in January of last year and tides during a storm in January of this year reached 7.22 feet.

Street flooding is likely around high tide and may last several hours. Vehicles should be moved from areas that typically experience tidal flooding. The roads closer to the beach including Central and Wesley avenues are typically at higher elevation.

Parking will be available at the Trinity United Methodist Church at 20 North Shore Road in Marmora. Anyone looking to take advantage of this service should read this letter from Trinity. Drivers should never attempt to drive through flood waters or around barricades. City crews are out clearing storm drains in advance of the storm.

Residents are advised to secure loose objects on their property, or bring them inside, and contractors are asked to secure their job sites. Residents are advised to make sure inlets near their home are clear of debris.

For police and fire emergencies, call 911. For non-emergencies, call 609-399-9111.

Patch file photo