Island Beach State Park Had South Jersey's Strongest Storm Gusts

ISLAND BEACH STATE PARK, NJ — Monday's storm gave people another reason to avoid New Jersey state parks. Island Beach State Park's gusts peaked at 82 mph — the highest-recorded speed in South Jersey on Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

In fact, IBSP had the strongest gusts in the NWS's entire Philadelphia/Mount Holly region, which covers parts of New Jersey, Pennsylavania, Delaware and Maryland.

The NWS listed the highest gust speeds Monday for the Philadelphia/Mount Holly region. The top of the list features many points in Ocean County and the Jersey Shore.

Here's the NWS's top five that made it to land:

1. Island Beach State Park, 82 mph, 12:09 p.m.
2. Barnegat Light, 81 mph, 12:01 p.m.
3. Indian Beach (Sussex, Delaware), 79 mph, 10:20 a.m.
4. Atlantic City Apt (Pomona), 73 mph, 11:36 p.m.
5. Cape May Harbor, 72 mph, 10:36 a.m.

"Measured wind gust to 82 mph at Island Beach State Park, NJ around noon!" officials wrote in a Facebook post. "Please take these winds and all warnings seriously this afternoon as more storms are on their way."

Governor Phil Murphy ordered last Tuesday the closure of New Jersey's state and county parks. Many state parks previously remained open in some capacity. Island Beach State Park had been open with no entrance fee, allowing for hiking and other passive recreation. Read more: Gov. Murphy Closes Parks On NJ Coronavirus Crisis's Deadliest Day

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