A nor’easter forecasted to hit New Jersey late Saturday may have “major coastal flooding, substantial beach erosion, and high winds for coastal areas,” though meteorologist are anticipating lower rainfall that originally predicted.
A costal low will develop off of the southeast coast Saturday and strengthen throughout the weekend, according to a report from the National Weather Service this morning. Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way declared a State of Emergency yesterday effective Saturday at 10 p.m.
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Heavy rain and flooding are expected to begin Saturday night through Monday night, high winds expected to start Sunday through Monday and coastal flooding with high tides on Sunday through Monday, according to the report.
Meteorologist Jay Engle said the weather service is anticipating the height of the storm will be Sunday night into Monday morning.
Coast flood advisory with a chance of 55 mph gusts
A coastal flood watch is in effect for all Atlantic coastal New Jersey, Delaware and the Delaware bay from Sunday thought Monday.
The highest impact in terms of hazards predicted is coastal flooding, since it could be widespread across the entire coastline, said Engle.
Strong onshore winds, high surf and coastal flooding in the mid-Atlantic “will likely lead to major coastal flooding in the mid-Atlantic, especially along the coasts of Delaware, southern New Jersey and the Virigina Tidewater,” according to the report.
There is a chance of over 55 miles per hour wind gusts on Sunday.
Friday, the weather service had said there was an estimated amount of 2 to 4 inches of possible rainfall in southern New Jersey with 1 to 2 inches expected in North Jersey.
Saturday, the service said predicted rainfall totals are trending lower, with a widespread 1 to 3 inches of rain forecast for much of our area. Highest totals will be near the coast, which could see “a compacted impact with heavy rain on top of moderate to major tidal flooding, especially during high tide.”
This could flood roadways and affect roads and businesses near the waterfront, so coastal residents are being urged to head warning and guidance from local officials as evacuations remain possible.
From Sunday to Monday, wind gusts of 50 to 60 miles per hour are possible on the coast and gusts of 30 to 40 miles per hour are possible inland, according to the report. The gusts may cause power outages and downed trees, especially near the coast.
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Rainfall, which will persist into Monday night, will occur over a 48 to 60 hour period, so flooding due to heavy rain alone will be limited to urban areas and areas with poor drainage, according to the report.
Engle said the weather service is not “overall concerned with flooding associated with any rainfall” since areas have had dry conditions leading up to the storm.
“The rain would fall over a long duration,” said Engle. “We think it may fall enough over a long enough duration that we’re only expecting minor nuisance flooding, not widespread or significant rainfall flooding.”
Ocean zones may see “dangerous seas of 15 to 20 feet” with rough waters expected to within the Delaware Bay, according to the report. Substantial beach erosion, dune breaching and dangerous surf conditions are likely.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Storm warning on powerful nor’easter. See forecasts for coastal floods