Coastal Flooding from Winter Storm Stella Inundates New Jersey Roads

Sean Breslin
Published: March 14,2017
High tide from the powerful Winter Storm Stella led to flooding in several areas along the coast of New Jersey on Tuesday morning, as the water encroached on roads and eroded beaches.
Stone Harbor and Atlantic City reported flooding along city streets as the tide rose in the hour leading up to high tide Tuesday morning, and beaches eroded in North Wildwood. In Atlantic City, the tide level reached as high as 7.8 feet, just shy of the 7.84-foot high tide reported during Winter Storm Jonas in January 2016 and major flood stage, which is 8 feet.
Atlantic City received some snowfall from Stella Monday night before changing over to rain, according to weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce. Accumulating snow was reported about 60 miles northwest, he added.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie told CBS News that Stella is "a tale of three storms in New Jersey."
"In the southern parts of the state, (there's) mostly rain, freezing rain and sleet. On the Jersey Shore, ... this is the most difficult time because high tide is in and we are going to see moderate shore flooding," Christie said. "In the northern part of the state you'll see snow, wind and it's going to make clearing the roads up here in the northern part of the state more difficult. It's going to be a long day."
(MORE: Things to Know About Stella | What's Next for This Storm)
Water rescues were reported in Atlantic City, while one rescue occurred in a flooded street in front of the Thomas H. Heist Insurance Agency in Ocean City. Christina Codianni, an employee at the agency, told weather.com in an email an older couple got stranded in the floodwaters, and employee Todd Salvati waded out into the water to help transport the couple into a police vehicle, which had been called by the agency to assist with the rescue.
Codianni said the area around the office floods frequently during coastal storms.

Speed restrictions were in place along some roadways because of the conditions, Ocean City Patch reported. Power outages were very limited along the coast Tuesday morning.
Social media captured the scope of the flooding, which was widespread in some areas along the Garden State's coast:
MORE: Winter Storm Stella

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