Winter Storm and Flooding in New Jersey, January 25 to 26, 2000

The most intense winter storm since the Blizzard of 1996 buried New Jersey on the 25th with 6 to 15 inches of snow, sleet and freezing rain, wind gusts as strong as 60 mph along the shore, moderate coastal flooding and drifts as high as four feet. For the first time since 1996 county and government offices were closed. Many businesses and all schools were closed. Many malls never opened and all the others closed early. Dozens of public events were postponed. Both the Millville Airport and the Atlantic City International Airport were shut down. Many schools were also closed the next day (the 26th). Scores of vehicles slid off roadways. At least one man died of a heart attack after shoveling the snow. Strong onshore winds gusted up to 60 mph, downed power lines and caused about 3,100 homes and businesses to lose power. Motorists crashing into poles caused outages to another 1,100 homes and businesses in northern New Jersey. Service on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry was suspended. The rough onshore winds caused moderate tidal flooding at the time of the midday high tide on the 25th. The snow began with a vengeance between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. EST across the state. It began in Cape May County and spread northwestward. Snowfall rates of around 2 inches per hour were common during the first couple of hours during this storm. By 6 a.m. EST, some locations already had 4 inches of new snow on the ground. After 6 a.m. EST, as warmer air came in above the ground and the precipitation intensity slackened, the snow began mixing with and changing over to sleet and freezing rain in the central and southern part of the state. Snow continued across northwest New Jersey, but its intensity was lighter during the late morning and afternoon hours. Central and Southern New Jersey spent most of the daylight hours in the storm's "dry slot" - an area of lighter precipitation. Even so, mid morning accumulations of 5 inches were common along the New Jersey shore. As colder air became more deeply entrenched across the state after 3 p.m. EST, the wintry mix started to change to sleet and then snow by the early evening of the 25th. The change to snow coincided with one last band of heavier snow that affected New Jersey during the evening of the 25th. The snow ended around Midnight EST on the 26th. The winter storm caused numerous accidents around the region. In Hoptacong (Sussex County), a pedestrian was injured by a vehicle. In Warren County, a tractor trailer jackknifed on Interstate 80 and backed up traffic in both directions for two hours. Interstates 78 and 287 became "spinout alleys" in Hunterdon, Somerset and Morris Counties. In Middlesex County, a 35-year-old male was killed on County Route 522 when he lost control of van and collided head-on with a tractor trailer. A four vehicle accident closed down busy New Jeresy State Route 18 during the evening rush hour. In Monmouth County on the 26th, a 58-year-old man suffered a heart attack and died after shoveling his car out in Upper Freehold Township. In Gloucester County, a tractor trailer overturned in Harrison Township. In Atlantic County, two New Jersey Transit buses became stranded on the Atlantic City Expressway. One skidded onto a median and the other became stuck after stopping for assistance. In Cumberland County, many vehicles skidded off New Jersey State Route 55. About 4,200 homes and businesses lost power throughout the state. Most were along the shore as high winds took down power lines. In Middlesex County, the winds took down power lines on United States Route 1 in Edison. The worst wind damage occurred on the New Jersey State Route 72 Causeway between Long Beach Island and Stafford Township in Ocean County. The roadway was closed for 90 minutes around midday when two utility poles cracked and caused their wires to fall onto the westbound lanes. Downed wires caused outages to about 2,500 homes in Surf City. Other outages occurred on Mystic Islands. Another pole was knocked down on the mainland in Stafford Township. The strong onshore winds also produced moderate tidal flooding at the times of the midday high tide on the 25th as well as some beach erosion. In Monmouth County coastal flooding was reported in Long Branch, Manasquan, Neptune and Union Beach. In Atlantic County, there was a long list of bayside roads flooded from Brigantine to Somers Point. In Atlantic City, both the Black (U.S. Route 40 and 322) and White (U.S. Route 30) Horse Pikes were closed. The Beesleys Point Bridge connecting Somers Point and Upper Township (in Cape May County) was under 1.5 feet of water and closed. In Cape May County, flooding forced the closure of the 9th Street Bridge and Causeway in Ocean City. Flooding was also reported along 34th Street. Dozens of motorists were rescued from flooded streets. In Stratmere, the ocean met the bay as the oceanfront dunes collapsed. In Wildwood, the New Jersey State Route 147 and the George Redding Bridges were closed. The worst flooding in Wildwood was on the west (bay) side of the township. North Wildwood declared a state of emergency because of the tidal flooding. The worst flooding was in the Angelsea section of North Wildwood. Three families near Delaware Avenue were evacuated. In Cape May City minor tidal flooding was reported at the foot of Yacht and Washington Avenue and Elmira Street. The high tide at Sandy Hook peaked at 7.7 feet above mean lower low water at 1254 p.m. EST on the 25th. The high tide at Atlantic City also peaked at 7.7 feet above mean lower low water at 1212 p.m. EST on the 25th. The high tide at the Cape May/Lewes Terminal peaked at 8.2 feet above mean lower low water at 1130 a.m. EST on the 25th and peaked at 8.5 feet above mean lower low water at 1201 p.m. EST on the 25th. Moderate tidal flooding starts at 7.7 feet above mean lower low water. Total Accumulations included (going from the northwest to southeast across the state): in Sussex County 15 inches in High Point, 14.7 inches in Culver Lake, 13.5 inches in Wantage, 9.5 inches in Sparta and 8 inches in Sussex; in Warren County 12 inches in Phillipsburg and 11 inches in Allamuchy; in Morris County 12 inches in Oak Ridge, 11 inches in Long Valley, 9 inches in Whippany and Rockaway and 6 inches in Madison; in Hunterdon County 13 inches in White House Station, 11.5 inches in Califon and 10 inches in Flemington and Wertsville; in Somerset County 10.5 inches in Neshanic, 10 inches in Pottersville and 9 inches in Branchburg and Somerville, in Middlesex County 6 inches in New Brunswick and Woodbridge, in Monmouth County 7 inches in Ocean Grove and Manasquan, 6 inches in Howell and Union Beach; in Mercer County 10 inches in Washington's Crossing, 8 inches in Princeton and Hightstown; in Burlington County 13 inches in Moorestown, 10 inches in Lumberton and Marlton, 9 inches in Mount Laurel and 7 inches in Bordentown; in Ocean County 10 inches in Brick, 9 inches in Brant Beach and 8 inches in Jackson; in Camden County 14 inches in Gloucester City, 11 inches in Somerdale, 10 inches in Pennsauken and 8 inches in Cherry Hill; in Gloucester County 13 inches in Sewell and Mullica Hill, 11.5 inches in Swedesboro; in Salem County 10.3 inches in Deepwater; in Cumberland County 9 inches in Seabrook, 8 inches in Millville and 7 inches in Vineland; in Atlantic County 10 inches in Pomona, 9 inches in Estell Manor and 8.3 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport and in Cape May County 10 inches in North Wildwood, 8.5 inches in Cape May City and 8 inches in Cape May Courthouse. The low pressure system responsible for the winter storm began as a weak low pressure system on a stationary front in southern Texas on the 23rd. By the morning of the 24th, it was located in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico near Apalachicola, Florida. Initial projections were for this storm system to stay far enough offshore for the heaviest precipitation to fall over the ocean and a more significant storm was expected on Wednesday the 26th. But, by Monday evening the 24th, it became apparent that the storm would not safely go out to sea. In fact, it was intensifying and hugging the South Atlantic Coast. By 7 a.m. EST on the 25th, it was about a 980 millibar low just northeast of Cape Hatteras. The storm's greatest intensification was over, but it moved northeast near the Atlantic Seaboard, instead of eastnortheast as was originally expected. At 7 p.m. EST, the storm was about a 975 millibar low located about 80 miles east of Long Beach Island, New Jersey. It proceeded to move northeast and weaken and at 7 a.m. EST on the 26th, it was a 988 millibar low just east of Portland Maine. This storm system pushed the cold front well offshore. The third low that did develop on Wednesday the 26th was too far offshore to affect the region other than reinforcing the preexisting cold northwest flow.