Hurricane Irene, now a Category 1 storm, is expected to pass very close to the New Jersey coast late tonight into Sunday morning, bringing 80 mph winds along the coast and dangerous flooding, according to the National Weather Service.
“I think there’s still a formidable coastal threat,” said David A. Robinson, the New Jersey state climatologist at Rutgers University. “There’s certainly (a) formidable wind threat, and I’m absolutely concerned about inland flooding.”
The storm is expected to be almost at Sandy Hook by 8 a.m. Sunday, meaning it will be moving faster than forecast on Friday, he said.
That means the tide will be rising as the hurricane is coming up the coast, with winds shifting to the northwest in South Jersey by high tide, he said.
“So it’s probably better news for South Jersey than North Jersey,” he said. The timing now is “certainly not favoring the north Jersey coast,” he said.
Meanwhile, a tornado watch is in effect until 8 p.m. today in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Salem counties, according to the weather service.
Six to 10 inches of rain is still expected, with a few locations getting more than a foot, according to the weather service.
The heavy and possibly record rainfall will likely result in major flooding across parts of New Jersey, according to the weather service. Coastal flooding is also expected.
Small creeks and streams are highly susceptible to flash flooding, and the Raritan River is also highly susceptible to flooding, according to the weather service. The Delaware and Passaic rivers react more slowly but also are at risk.
From Sandy Hook to Little Egg Inlet, winds and seas will build today, with hurricane conditions expected tonight, according to the weather service.
East winds of about 60 to 80 mph are expected along coastal waters tonight, while northwest winds of about 70 to 80 mph are expected on Sunday. Seas on Sunday were expected to be up to about 23 feet high.
A hurricane warning is still in effect for Monmouth, Ocean, Burlington, Atlantic, Cape May, Salem, Gloucester, Camden, Cumberland and Middlesex counties, as well as for New Jersey coastal waters, including Delaware Bay, according to the weather service.
Story per MyCentralJersey.com