September 25, 2026

Dear Friends,

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) just significantly increased its projection for tidal flooding tonight, tomorrow and Sunday.

If the tidal forecast is accurate, Ocean City would see the highest water level since the nor’easter “Jonas” in January 2016. That storm registered 7.66 feet on the mean low water (MLW) scale, and the forecast now calls for a water level of 7.4 feet for the high tide at 8:31 a.m. on Saturday morning.

Tonight’s high tide at 8:11 p.m. is now predicted at 6.9 feet. The NWS calls for 7.0 feet on Saturday evening (8:50 p.m.) and 7.2 feet on Sunday morning (9:09 a.m.).

Each of these projections is far greater than what had been predicted earlier today, and far more streets are expected to see significant flooding. New Jersey has declared a state of emergency effective at 5 p.m.

Please make efforts to move vehicles from flood-prone streets well in advance of these tides. I also want to ask residents to help neighbors and guests who might not be familiar with the areas of Ocean City that flood.

The roads closer to the beach including Central and Wesley avenues are typically at higher elevation. Parking will be free in municipal lots in the city through Sunday. Be aware that while these lots sit above flood level, safe access during the hours around high tide may be limited. Parking also will be available at the Trinity United Methodist Church at 20 North Shore Road in Marmora. If you use this service, please use the unpaved area behind the church and leave the paved spots for the congregation.

Residents may want to prepare ground-level garages and storage areas and move items off the ground. Our police and fire departments are prepared with high-water rescue vehicles, but please don’t put yourself in harm’s way.

The latest information on the forecast, tide times, water level predictions and safe parking is always available at ocnj.us/oem.

I will provide further updates as needed throughout the weekend.

Warm regards,

Jay A. Gillian
Mayor

Ocean City, New Jersey
861 Asbury Avenue
Ocean City, NJ 08226
(609) 399-6111
www.ocnj.us