By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
After hanging around for an excruciatingly long three days, a coastal storm that tormented Sea Isle City with tidal flooding, gusty winds and rain finally made its overdue exit Tuesday to the relief of local residents.
The storm’s swan song was relatively benign compared to its peak on Monday, but some floodwater stubbornly refused to disappear Tuesday, forcing Sea Isle to close down the Landis Avenue corridor for several blocks near the downtown business district.
Barricades blocked off Landis Avenue starting at 37th Street and heading north toward Strathmere. Despite the traffic restrictions, some daredevil drivers in pickup trucks and commercial vehicles ignored the danger and crawled through what appeared to be knee-high-deep water in some spots.
Sea Isle also had some random patches of street flooding in other parts of town Tuesday, but nothing as drastic as the surging stormwater that made large sections of the city impassable on Monday during high tide.
“This tide got blown out pretty fast. That west wind came in and really helped out,” Sea Isle Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Jargowsky said of the conditions that contributed to less severe flooding on Tuesday.
Jargowsky said no damage was reported. The storm, though, left trash and other debris lying in some streets in its aftermath.
Local residents, who are used to nasty nor’easters at the shore, were thankful that the three-day storm lacked the punch of Hurricane Sandy in October 2012 and the powerhouse winter storm Jonas in January 2016.
Mary Corson, who lives on 38th Street, said stormwater from Sandy went as high as five cinderblocks in her garage and three cinderblocks during Jonas’ wrath. However, her garage remained dry during this storm.
“There was no water in the garage this time,” she said. “We sandbagged our garage door, so that helped, too.”
Corson was out walking her dog, Maddie, on Tuesday on a relatively dry 38th Street. However, the English springer spaniel took an impromptu swim to end her walk the day before.
“My dog had to swim home after our walk. She started paddling in the water,” Corson said of the flooding on 38th Street that was in front of her home Monday.
Strong winds gusting more than 50 mph were another hallmark of the storm. Before the winds shifted to the west on Tuesday, they were blowing out of the northeast, which contributed to the flooding.
Sea Isle Police Chief Tom McQuillen said the Police Department rescued two or three motorists who became stranded in stormwater.
Linda Butterfield, who has experienced numerous storms while living in Sea Isle for 65 years, said local drivers normally are well aware of the flood-prone roads and can navigate their way around them.
“We had flooding in areas that usually flood. If people live on the island, they know how to maneuver around it,” she said.
Butterfield, 71, who lives on 42nd Street, humorously replied “What storm?” when asked how she coped with the three-day nor’easter.
“I didn’t find it to be anything much,” she said in a tone that suggested she would soon forget it.
