Ocean City Expects 'Moderate' Coastal Flooding Thursday

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Earlier Wednesday, officials predicted Ocean City would get its highest tide in more than two years. Forecasters slightly reduced their expectations as of Wednesday evening, but they still anticipate "moderate" flooding.

The NWS placed Ocean City under a coastal flood warning from 7 p.m. Wednesday to 3 p.m. Thursday and a high wind warning from 6 p.m. Wednesday to 1 a.m. Thursday. Forecasters predict winds of 15-25 mph with gusts up to 50 mph Thursday, along with 1-2 inches of rain possible.

Officials expect a water level of 6.5 feet on the mean low water scale at 9:55 a.m. Thursday on the bay side of Ocean City. The water level would exceed the 6.3-foot threshold for "moderate" flooding. That level of coastal flooding indicates many roads could become impassible, and possible damage to vulnerable structures.

Earlier Wednesday, officials projected a 6.7 feet water level for Thursday, which would be the city's highest tide since Oct. 11, 2019, when high tides combined with strong winds reached 6.64 feet MLW.

See how this compares to past tide levels.

Here is the forecast for Ocean City:

• Wednesday night: Rain before 8pm, then rain and possibly a thunderstorm between 8pm and 2am, then rain likely after 2am. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 34. Windy, with an east wind 30 to 35 mph becoming northeast 20 to 25 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 55 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
• Thursday: A chance of rain before 8am. Partly sunny, with a high near 40. Breezy, with a north wind 20 to 25 mph decreasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
• Thursday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27. North wind around 10 mph.

Call 911 for emergencies. For non-emergencies, call 609-399-9111.

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