Record Coastal Flooding Expected Along New Jersey Shore from Sandy

The discussion from the National Weather Service is forecasting the potential for record coastal flooding in Monmouth and Middlesex Counties of New Jersey as Sandy makes landfall from Belmar to Atlantic City. The Coastal Hazard Message from the Mount Holly NWS is below. 

COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ 748 AM EDT SAT OCT 27 2012 
 ...THE EVOLUTION OF TROPICAL CYCLONE SANDY INTO A POWERFUL STORM CROSSING THE NEW JERSEY COAST MONDAY EVENING WILL MEAN AT LEAST TWO TIDE CYCLES OF POTENTIALLY MODERATE TO MAJOR FLOODING... .A COASTAL FLOOD OF RECORD IS POSSIBLE IN THE NORTHERN NEW JERSEY WATERS IF THE TIMING OF SANDY COINCIDES WITH THE MONDAY EVENING HIGH TIDE CYCLE AND THE CYCLONE PASSES ACROSS THE NEW JERSEY COAST BETWEEN ATLANTIC CITY AND BELMAR. 

MIDDLESEX-WESTERN MONMOUTH-EASTERN MONMOUTH-OCEAN-CUMBERLAND- ATLANTIC-CAPE MAY-ATLANTIC COASTAL CAPE MAY-COASTAL ATLANTIC- COASTAL OCEAN-SOUTHEASTERN BURLINGTON- 748 AM EDT SAT OCT 27 2012 ...COASTAL FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH MONDAY EVENING...
 * LOCATION...THE ATLANTIC COAST OF NEW JERSEY. * COASTAL FLOODING...MODERATE TO MAJOR COASTAL FLOODING IS ANTICIPATED FOR BOTH HIGH TIDE CYCLES ON MONDAY...PRECEDED BY COMPARATIVELY MINOR FLOOD EPISODES SUNDAY MORNING AND SUNDAY EVENING. THIS WILL BE LONG DURATION TIDAL FLOODING AND PROBABLE ROAD CLOSURES AND POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGE WHERE WATER ENCROACHES ON PARKING LOTS AND BUILDINGS. * AT...SANDY HOOK THE PRIMARY TIMES OF HIGH TIDE ARE 801 AM MONDAY AND 822 PM MONDAY EVENING. AT ATLANTIC CITY THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE ARE 741 AM AND 8 PM MONDAY EVENING. AT CAPE MAY THE APPROXIMATE TIMES OF HIGH TIDE ARE 849 AM MONDAY AND 909 PM MONDAY EVENING. * SEAS...WILL BE 15 TO POSSIBLY 20 FEET. THIS ADDED OVER-WASH WILL THREATEN CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO BEACHFRONT PROPERTIES. * RAINFALL...4 TO POSSIBLY 8 INCHES OF RAINFALL BY MONDAY EVENING WILL ADD TO THE TIDAL FLOODING AS RIVERS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DISCHARGE EXCESS RUNOFF INTO THE 3 TO 5 FOOT TIDAL SURGE AIDED BY AN INCOMING WIND GUSTING TO 60 MPH ALONG THE COAST. THIS INCREASES THE ODDS OF MAJOR FLOODING! SOME OF THE FORECAST INFORMATION INDICATES SANDY HOOK MAY SEE A COASTAL FLOOD OF RECORD MONDAY EVENING IF THE STORM CROSSES THE COAST SOUTH OF SANDY HOOK NEAR THE TIME OF THE MONDAY EVENING HIGH TIDE. * DURATION...MODERATE OR GREATER TIDAL FLO0DING MAY LAST 3 TO 5 HOURS DURING THE HIGH TIDE CYCLE! * PRECURSOR FLOOD EPISODE...MINOR COASTAL FLOODING IS LIKELY DURING THE SUNDAY HIGH TIDES CYCLES BUT THAT WILL BE DWARFED BY WHAT FOLLOWS MONDAY. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A COASTAL FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODERATE OR MAJOR COASTAL FLOODING. PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO UPDATED FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. FOLLOW THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS. FOR A LIST OF THE IMPACT OF DIFFERENT TIDE HEIGHTS IN YOUR COUNTY PLEASE GO TO WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PHI/TIDES.HTM (ALL IN LOWER CASE). 

George Wright is a Certified Consulting Meteorologist for Wright Weather Consulting, LLC. George is also a meteorologist with ABC News and Cablevision News 12. Our website is WrightWeather.com.