Downbeach towns are hoping to dry out today, but a coastal flooding advisory remains in effect until 8 p.m. Tuesday evening.
Streets in low-lying areas in all three towns were inundated with water through the weekend’s three highest tides, with Monday afternoon’s high tide the worst.
Margate Fire Chief Dan Adams said the flooding was similar to Hurricane Erin that occurred in mid-August.
“The water came up with the 1:30 p.m. high tide Sunday, but the water didn’t recede until about 7:30 p.m.,” he said. “We had some alarms, but no rescues due to there being fewer people in town. One of the good things is that the businesses along Amherst Avenue closed down during the storm, so that was helpful.”
Flooding seemed to be worst in the U.S. Presidents neighborhood – Washington, Cooledge – and Amherst avenues.
The Police Department put up barricades to keep people from driving along those streets; however, neighbors on other flooded streets that were not barricaded took to Facebook to chastise motorists for driving through flood waters and creating wakes that pushed more water onto their properties.
“There was a good effort by everyone involved. We were fortunate because we were well prepared,” Adams said.
With more than a foot of water on the street, firefighters had to battle a fire at an unoccupied duplex on N. Wilson Avenue after an electric skateboard powered by a lithium ion battery sitting in flood waters in the garage caught fire. A neighbor saw smoke coming from a vent in the side of the building and called 911.
The fire could have been a lot worse, but the neighbor had the passcode to the garage which provided firefighters with easy access and the fire was quickly contained, he said.
There was also an electrical fire at Ocean Plaza condominiums in Longport on Sunday that was not attributed to the flooding. Emergency Management Coordinator Bruce Funk said the fire was out before firefighters arrived on scene.
Funk said Longport fared well with the usual low spots flooding, but it wasn’t as bad as Hurricane Erin, he said.
“We lost a lot of sand, but the dunes were not compromised,” he said. “When I was down there yesterday, the ocean was kissing the toe of the dunes.”
Ventnor Commissioner of Public Works Lance Landgraf said he did not have time Tuesday morning to check out the condition of the beach but that he received a comprehensive report from the Police Department about the city’s emergency management response.
“We kept putting out advisories on our Facebook page to keep residents up to date,” he said. “The water is down in the Heights this morning, and we are expecting minor flooding during today’s high tide, but we’re okay.”
A coastal storm walloped the Jersey shore Oct. 12-14, 2025. Photos courtesy Margate City Fire Department and Steve Jasiecki.
The Dorset Avenue bridge was closed for several hours during each of three high tides on Sunday and Monday.
“The Police Department said there were no significant incidents, but there were some wires down due to the wind,” Landgraf said.
According to the National Weather Service, a Coastal Flood Advisory remains in effect until 8 p.m. Tuesday evening. Up to a foot of inundation above ground level means low-lying areas will experience minor flooding. At this level, flooding begins on the most vulnerable roads, especially in the back bays.
Motorists should expect some road closures. Residents are advised to move vehicles to higher ground and refrain from driving through salt water, which could cause corrosion to the undercarriage of your vehicle that could require costly repairs.
Visit https://water.noaa.gov/wfo/phi for the latest weather predictions.
Copyright Fideri News Network 2025
