Severe Weather

6 Historic Events That Caused Major Coastal Floods in the East

At a Glance

The Mid-Atlantic to the Northeast coastal areas are vulnerable to significant coastal flooding.
Both tropical and winter storms can produce coastal flooding.
There have been a number of notable storms where coastal flooding have altered the lives of many coastal inhabitants.

The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic coasts are prone to blockbuster storms that can produce this kind of devastating coastal flooding due to a unique combination of geographical and atmospheric factors

These storms can be tropical in nature or they can even occur during the winter. The Atlantic Ocean, with the warm Gulf Stream current offshore, can be a breeding ground for winter storms. The Atlantic Coast is also an area where tropical cyclones can pass through.

The coastline from the Mid-Atlantic to the Northeast is highly irregular with bays, inlets, peninsulas and islands. All of these features can steer water into unwelcome locations if a strong onshore wind continues for a significant period of time.

Slow-moving storms usually produce the most severe impacts because they can last through many tide cycles.

Although Hermine did not cause major coastal flooding as it lingered off the East Coast the storm got us thinking: What are some of the most notorious and severe examples of these East Coast storms of past?

(MORE: Hermine - Tropical vs. Non Tropical Explained)

1) Ash Wednesday Storm - March 1962

This is one of the great East Coast winter storms of all time. This slow-moving storm relentlessly battered the East Coast and produced devastating coastal flooding.

Severe coastal flooding occurred from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, to Cape Cod, Massachusetts

According to the Baltimore Sun, waves as high as 25 feet crashed into Ocean City, Maryland.

The National Weather Service indicated that both Chincoteague and Assateague islands were underwater.

There was more devastation in New Jersey. According to dailyjournal.com, most fishing piers were destroyed at Ocean City.

The coastal flooding was made worse because the earth, sun and moon were aligned (perigean spring tide), which added to the storm surge.

Water Damage To The Henlopen Hotel At Rehoboth Beach, Delaware After The Ash Wednesday Storm Of 1962
(Delaware Public Archives)

2) December Nor'easter - December 1992

Another slow-mover, this storm produced significant coastal flooding, along with snow and high winds. New Jersey was particularly hard hit as high waves produced the most significant flooding there since the Ash Wednesday storm in 1962. A high tide was measures at 10.2 feet at Perth Amboy, New Jersey and 8.8 feet at Atlantic City.

According to hurricanes-blizzards-noreasters.com, hundreds of coastal homes were destroyed or damaged and many boardwalks and piers were ripped apart.

In New York City, a high tide was measured at 8.04 feet at Battery Park. This flooded Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive. According to the New York Times, an 8-foot storm surge forced 3,000 residents to evacuate their homes in Bayville on Long Island.

In southeast New England, major coastal flooding and damage occurred as tides were measured at 3 to 4 feet above normal.

(MORE : Fall Outlook)

3) Nor'Ida - November 2009

This was a powerful nor'easter that produced widespread damage along the East Coast. The name came about when Hurricane Ida but transitioned to a non-tropical storm (nor'easter).

According to NOAA, moderate to severe flooding occurred across the mid-Atlantic region. Peak water levels were 7 to 8 feet along the New Jersey coast. Flooding on some barrier islands was worse on the bay side than on the ocean side because of the build up of water over several tide cycles.

The high water mark at Sewells Point (Norfolk, Virginia) reached 7.75 feet. Despite the lack of intensity of the storm, record high water water levels resulted from a persistent onshore flow to to the storm's slow movement.

Satellite Photograph Of "Nor'Ida" Off The Atlantic Coast On Novembber 10, 2009.
(NOAA)

4) Hurricane Sandy - October 2015

Probably the greatest and most talked about East Coast storms of all time, Sandy was a hurricane in the eastern Atlantic when it took an abrupt turn and crashed into the New Jersey coast.

Although it wasn't technically a hurricane at landfall, Sandy remained a powerful storm that produced a significant storm surge from the Carolinas to New England.

According to the National Hurricane Center, the highest storm surge and greatest inundation on land occurred in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, especially around New York City.

From northern New Jersey to Long island, the storm surge was accompanied by damaging waves. A record storm surge was recorded at Battery Park in New York City at a whopping 14.06 feet above mean low water level. Inundations (water above ground level) were 4 to 9 feet at Staten island and Manhattan and 3-6 feet at Brooklyn and Queens.

As a result, the New York City subway system was flooded and service was disrupted for two days and the New York Stock Exchange closed for two days. All tunnels into Manhattan, except for the Lincoln Tunnel, were closed due to flooding. Many homes were damaged and unhabitable.

A transformer explosion triggered a number of fires in Queens. Because many residents defied earlier orders to evacuate, rescuers had to battle high water to complete their missions.

According to Newsday, more than 2,000 homes on Long island were left uninhabitable.

Hurricane Sandy Boardwalk Damage Seaside, New Jersey
(Governors Office)

5) Winter Storm Juno -January 2015

Winter Storm Juno pounded parts of the Northeast with heavy snow and high winds, but it also produced significant coastal flooding, especially in Massachusetts.

Severel coastal flooding reports were issued by the National Weather Service in Taunton, Massachusetts. In Plymouth, 3 to 4 feet of water was reported on Warren Avenue at high tide on Jan. 27. Four to five feet of coastal flooding was observed at Hull.

At Marshfield, there was a seawall breach on Bay Avenue that caused structural damage to an unoccupied house. The harbor at Sandwich was flooded. There was significant flooding on streets in Scituate at high tide. According to floodlist.com, an 80-foot section of the seawall was washed away at Marshfield.

At Marshfield and Scituate, two homes suffered so much damage that they had to be condemned. There was also significant flooding on Cape Cod and on Nantucket Island.

Water Floods a Street in Scituate, Mass, Tuesday January 27, 2015
(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

6) Winter Storm Jonas - January 2016

This winter storm was slow-moving and slammed the East Coast during a full moon. The combination of a persistent onshore flow and an exaggerated high tide cycle resulted in severe coastal flooding around the mid-Atlantic region

Record flooding was observed in at least four locations along the Delaware (Lewes) and New Jersey coasts (Great Channel at Stone Harbor, Cape May Harbor, Delaware Bay at Cape May). At the Cape May Harbor, a new record high tide was registered. The old record, which happened during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, was 8.67 feet.

According to Washington Post, there was significant street flooding in Cape May with water up to 18 inches high and there was some property damage. There was severe beach erosion in Delaware and New Jersey.

The high tide registered a 9.26 feet at Lewes, Delaware, and set a record.