OCEAN COUNTY, N.J. — A unusually early and powerful nor’easter hammered the U.S. East Coast over the weekend, delivering torrential downpours, ferocious wind gusts, and severe coastal flooding across multiple New Jersey counties.
The slow-moving coastal system pushed massive sea surges and rising tides deep into coastal and back-bay communities between September 26 and 27, resulting in impassable roadways, beach erosion, and widespread power outages.
Gale-force winds and coastal surges
The coastal tempest generated powerful ocean swells that continuously crashed over protective barriers and seawalls along the Jersey Shore. In Ocean County, Surf City recorded a maximum wind gust of 74 mph—nearing hurricane threshold—while winds across coastal Monmouth and Ocean counties consistently exceeded 60 mph.
Onshore winds combined with high tide cycles pushed tidal waters inland, completely submerging streets and residential zones across Long Branch, Sea Bright, Surf City, Long Beach Island, Avalon, Stone Harbor, and West Wildwood.
Footage captured during the storm shows residential streets transformed into waterways, with residents utilizing small motorboats and kayaks to navigate submerged thoroughfares.
State of emergency and power outages
In response to the deteriorating conditions, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill declared a state of emergency across eight coastal counties—including Atlantic, Cape May, Monmouth, and Ocean—activating the State Emergency Operations Center to assist local first responders.
Nearly 70,000 households and businesses across New Jersey lost power during the peak of the storm as heavy winds and saturated ground brought down trees and utility lines. Local authorities issued voluntary evacuation orders in select low-lying beach communities and warned residents to refrain from driving through flooded roads as high tides and runoff continue to slow recovery efforts.
Source: Report compiled from video coverage by Amana TV on Facebook, corroborated by reports from the National Weather Service, CBS News, Reuters, and local emergency declarations in New Jersey.
— The Malaysia Times