Businesses along the Jersey Shore are cleaning up after major back bay flooding from a nor’easter swamped communities and sent water rushing into stores.
The flooding over the weekend was the worst some shore towns have seen in years. More high water arrived with Monday’s high tide, including on Long Beach Island.
In Stone Harbor’s main shopping district, crews were pumping water out of stores and removing damaged flooring after floodwaters disrupted businesses during the shore’s important fall shoulder season.
“We’re drying out. We’ve had the heat blasting overnight which really helped,” Coco Blu Boutique owner Alicia Eger said.
Floodwaters spared the merchandise at Nesting Baby and Child Boutique, but the store’s floor has to be removed.
“It’s a lot of lost revenue for sure and I mean all the shop owners know they never happen on a Wednesday,” boutique owner Maggie Day said.
The Beach Haven Volunteer Fire Company took on 18 inches of water, damaging its event hall and equipment used for fundraisers.
“Two feet below Sandy from where it was in the firehouse. But definitely a top five storm for us,” Deputy Chief Michael Kustrup said.
Monday’s high tide brought additional flooding to Long Beach Island as businesses continued dealing with water, muck and other damage left behind by the storm.
“A couple days at least a major cleanup, getting that not just water, but all that muck from the bay,” Chick’s LBI shop owner Chick Veasey said.
For Dairy King in Long Beach Township, the flooding brought an early end to the season. The business had planned to remain open through mid-October.
“We have no, pretty much no working machines. We have no product. We lost everything. So I guess we’re just out now,” Kira Link said.
Business owners in Stone Harbor said the situation was made worse when a driver went around police barriers and traveled through floodwaters at a relatively high rate of speed. They said the vehicle generated waves that crashed into buildings and even knocked down some flood barriers.
Major Flooding Leaves Jersey Shore Businesses Facing Lengthy Cleanup
