This blizzard has another hazard besides the snow, sleet and strong winds its bringing to the East Coast: flooding. The storm is pounding the New Jersey and Delaware shorelines with 22-foot waves and a 3 to 5-foot storm surge that sent water levels to all-time highs in some locations on Saturday morning.
As the snow came down hard and fast, areas were already experiencing coastal flooding around the time of high tide in the early hours of Saturday morning. Some residents along the coast described the strong winds outside as sounding like a freight train passing outside their windows.
A wind gust to hurricane force, or 75 miles per hour, was recorded in Rehobeth Beach, Delaware, where waves higher than 20 feet and a high astronomical high tide raised water levels to near record heights.
The storm brought Cape May, New Jersey's all-time highest coastal flood on record -- beating its tide levels seen during Hurricane Sandy and the Ash Wednesday storm of 1962 -- according to meteorologist Gary Szatkowski of the National Weather Service.
That being said, looks like Cape May NJ set a new all-time coastal flooding record. Gage hit 8.98' MLLW. #Sandy hit 8.9'— Gary Szatkowski (@GarySzatkowski) January 23, 2016
In Lewes, Delaware, water had risen to the second-highest level on record as of 8:30 a.m.ET, with the record of 9.2 feet within reach. The 9.2-foot level occurred during the Ash Wednesday storm of March, 1962.
Lewes DE tide gage at 8.98' MLLW, exceeding levels seen in 1992 nor'easter and #Sandy. All time record is 9.2' in 1962 nor'easter.— Gary Szatkowski (@GarySzatkowski) January 23, 2016
The storm surge on Saturday morning beat the level seen during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, though Lewes did not experience the brunt of that storm's surge since the storm made landfall to the north of the area.
In nearby Rehoboth beach, the rising surf covered the beach and had already begun to eat away at stretches of the sand dunes that line parts of the beach.
Water all the way up to the dunes in Rehoboth Beach, DE. [7:22am EST] pic.twitter.com/gGl0B7PvBs— Harrison Sincavage (@HWSincavage) January 23, 2016
Faster than expected intensification of the coastal storm and an earlier ramp up of strong winds meant a more significant high tide on Saturday morning, when astronomical tide levels were naturally higher.
In Atlantic City, streets near the sea were already taking on lots of water by 7 a.m.
Flooding Delaware Avenue North Wildwood #sjjonas #acpress pic.twitter.com/KkH7QMUPEz— Dale Gerhard (@acpressgerhard) January 23, 2016
Severe flooding at New Hampshire and Atlantic in Atlantic City. pic.twitter.com/Wsjdd4Z0n2— Jitney Guy (@JitneyGuy) January 23, 2016
A bit further south along the coast, in Sea Isle, New Jersey, the streets were underwater by 9 am.
Current view of JFK in Sea Isle #6abcAction #stormjonas pic.twitter.com/tLwlMqZnqF— Sea Isle Chamber (@SeaIsleChamber) January 23, 2016
Again A video posted by the breakfast and lunch place (@steakoutsic) on Jan 23, 2016 at 5:38am PST
In North Wildwood, New Jersey, police tweeted video of chunks of snow and ice flowing through the streets.
The 2000 block of New York Avenue looks like an ice river pic.twitter.com/fYTPuCqLIh— North Wildwood PD (@NorthWildwoodPD) January 23, 2016
Flooding is also being reported in Cape May, N.J., where tide gauges showed major flooding on Saturday morning.
More flooding is expected during Saturday evening's high tide and on Sunday morning, with the greater threat being Saturday evening when the onshore winds will be strongest.
In anticipation of the severe conditions, New Jersey and Delaware's governors declared a state of emergency late on Friday night.
Long-term sea level rise of about a foot during the past century in this area has primed the area for more frequent and severe coastal flooding, making it easier for storms like this one to enter the record books.