Flooding in New Jersey, April 18, 2000

The combination of a low pressure system exiting the North Carolina coast, a large high pressure system over the Canadian Maritimes and higher than normal astronomical tides because of the approaching full moon produced some minor tidal flooding at the times of high tide during the evening of the 18th. The evening high tides reached 7.2 feet above mean lower low water at both Sandy Hook and the Cape May Ferry Terminal, 6.7 feet at Ship Bottom (Ocean County) and Atlantic City. Minor tidal flooding normally begins with tides at or above 6.7 feet above mean lower low water. The onshore flow and higher than normal tides began with the high pressure system building into New England on the 17th. The low pressure system moved from the lower Ohio Valley the morning of the 17th, to the North Carolina coast the morning of the 18th. It moved offshore during the day on the 18th and by the morning of the 19th was well east of North Carolina. The northeast winds and tides subsequently subsided on the 19th.