LBI Gets Heavily Flooded; Causeway Bridge Stays Open

LONG BEACH ISLAND — Heavy flooding made some road unusable in Long Beach Island on Thursday night. But the Route 72 Causeway Bridge remained open, despite previous reports otherwise.

Long Beach Township police announced Thursday night on Nixle that the 72 Eastbound bridge by Mallard Island shut down for flooding to recede from Ship Bottom. LBTPD announced at 1:13 a.m. that 72 eastbound reopened.

However, Stafford police announced on social media that Route 72 was never closed. Stafford police assisted Ship Bottom and motorists on and off LBI.

Nonetheless, several police departments around LBI reported some roads remained impassable.

Ship Bottom police said at about 5 a.m. that Route 72 East at Central Avenue was still "very flooded." They said to avoid the area and use alternate routes to go north and south on LBI.

The flooding, combined with rain and darkness, resulted in poor visibility Thursday night and Friday morning.

Areas such as LBI, Stafford and Barnegat also faced significant flooding in a Saturday rainstorm. Read more: Stafford May Have Had Highest Rainfall In US On Saturday

Correction: A Nixle notification from Long Beach Township police stated the Route 72 E bridge by Mallard Island had shut down. Stafford police announced it had not been closed.

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