Heavy rain, gusty winds and flooding are expected Friday at the Jersey Shore. (Courtesy of AccuWeather)
The National Weather Service has issued a Coastal Flood Advisory in effect for Ocean City from noon to 6 p.m. Thursday.
A Coastal Flood Watch (indicating potentially more significant risks) will be in effect from noon to 8 p.m. on Friday.
A Wind Advisory for sustained easterly winds of 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph will be in effect from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday, and these winds will contribute to flooding conditions.
Water levels are expected to peak in the hours around high tide on the bay side (Ninth Street Bridge) of Ocean City at 2:02 p.m. Thursday and 3:03 p.m. Friday. The NWS predicts a water level of 6.2 feet on the mean low water (MLW) scale for Thursday and 6.5 feet MLW on Friday. By comparison, the water level peaked at 5.78 feet on Wednesday. Visit
www.ocnj.us/octides to compare these predictions to other recent and historic tide levels.
Residents should be prepared to monitor conditions and move vehicles to avoid street flooding. The roads closer to the beach including Central and Wesley avenues are typically at higher elevation. Free parking will be available at all municipal lots in town. Parking also will be available at the Trinity United Methodist Church at 20 North Shore Road in Marmora (please read
letter from Trinity if you take advantage of this service).
For your safety and the protection of your vehicle and neighboring properties, never attempt to drive through flood waters, and do not drive around barricades. The city urges all motorists to stay off flooded streets at all times. Conditions are made worse by vehicles plowing through flood waters and creating damaging wakes. Police will enforce against this reckless driving.
For Police and Fire Department emergencies, call 911. For non-emergencies, call (609) 399-9111.
