‘The beaches are gone’ after major coastal storm—NJ Top News
Here's the stories you'll be talking about on the New Jersey 101.5 Morning Show.
🔗 School closures, state office delayed opening on Monday
💧 Flood waters will take time to recede, especially along the immediate coast
💧 State offices and New Jersey courts will open late Monday because of the storm
The impact of the weekend nor'easter will linger into the beginning of the new work and school week.
New Jersey 101.5 Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow says it will take some time for flood waters to fully recede especially along the shore.
"Sunday evening I expect widespread minor to localized moderate flooding - the bays still won't be fully drained, so there will be issues in particularly vulnerable spots once again," Zarrow said.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill has delayed the opening of state offices on Monday until 11 a.m.
MVC customers with canceled appointments can bring their cancelation notice for walk-in service from September 29th through October 14, 2026.
The New Jersey Judiciary will have a delayed opening on Monday. Courts statewide will open at 11 a.m.
Click the link for the latest school closings.
🔗 Nor’easter brings power outages, heavy rain and flooding
🌧️Heavy rain pushed rainfall totals near five inches in parts of Monmouth County
🌧️Utility outages climbed to about 20,000 across New Jersey Sunday morning
🌧️NJ Transit suspended North Jersey Coast Line service for a time after a tree fell on the tracks
A rare September nor’easter hammered the Jersey Shore with powerful winds, huge waves and repeated high-tide flooding. The worst impacts were concentrated along the coast, particularly Atlantic and Cape May counties. Floodwater reached homes and businesses, cars became stranded, beaches were badly eroded and dozens of people required rescue.
🌊 MAJOR COASTAL FLOODING: Water surged into Shore communities including Atlantic City, Wildwood, North Wildwood and Stone Harbor. At the height of the storm, officials reported 2 to 3 feet of water in some areas. Streets became impassable, vehicles were swamped and water entered homes and businesses.
🌊 DOZENS RESCUED: Gov. Mikie Sherrill said first responders rescued dozens of people after they became trapped by floodwaters in homes and vehicles.
🌊 BEACHES CHEWED AWAY: Atlantic City Beach Patrol officials say the storm produced the worst beach erosion there since Superstorm Sandy. A roughly half-mile stretch north of Steel Pier was especially hard hit.
🌊 DUNES DAMAGED: Waves carved into protective dunes, uncovered structures previously buried beneath the sand and left dangerous cliffs and drop-offs on beaches. In one badly damaged Atlantic City section, officials said roughly half the dunes remained.
🌊 WILDWOODS HIT HARD: Floodwater inundated streets and properties in North Wildwood. One longtime resident told 6ABC the flooding at his property was second only to Sandy during his 25 years there.
🌊 STONE HARBOR UNDER WATER: Flooding rose to the doors of businesses and nearly submerged outdoor benches. The flooding extended well beyond the immediate beachfront as water pushed into normally dry areas.
🌊 SHORE LANDMARKS & BUSINESSES DAMAGED: The combination of wind, waves and flooding damaged Shore businesses and attractions, adding cleanup and repair costs just as many operators were trying to extend their season into the fall.
🌊 FISHING FLEETS STUCK AT THE DOCK: Dangerous ocean conditions kept commercial and recreational fishing boats from operating — another financial blow for captains, crews and businesses dependent on the industry. The impact extends beyond fishermen to marinas, seafood operations and other businesses tied to the catch.
🌊 POWER OUTAGES: Saturated ground and gusty winds likely added more power outages Sunday morning. JCP&L, PSE&G and Atlantic City Electric had a combined total of around 5,000 outages around dawn Sunday. But that number grew to over 23,000 as of 1:45 p.m.
🌊 EVENTS CANCELLED: The storm wiped out or disrupted a number of major weekend events. Wildwood halted outdoor events, and other festivals and activities along the coast were cancelled or postponed.
It wasn't simply heavy rain. Strong onshore winds repeatedly pushed Atlantic water toward the coast at high tide. The National Weather Service warned of 2 to 3 feet of inundation in some low-lying areas, large breaking waves and significant beach erosion.
🔗 Teachers hit with massive health premium increase
New Jersey’s health plan for school employees has been pulled back from the brink — but teachers and taxpayers are going to pay a steep price.
A state commission has approved health insurance premium increases of as much as 34% for active school workers next year. The vote came after state officials warned districts the plan might not be able to provide benefits beginning in January without new rates.
Treasury officials say years of rising costs and districts fleeing for cheaper coverage have put the system in what they describe as a “death spiral.”
🔗 Caldwell takes his case to the pulpit
Just two days after resigning as lieutenant governor, Dale Caldwell was back behind the pulpit — preaching about false accusations.
Caldwell delivered a sermon at his Plainfield church titled “When Lies Become Weapons,” warning that investigations and legal proceedings do not necessarily guarantee the truth. Caldwell resigned Friday after Gov. Mikie Sherrill released an independent investigation that substantiated a sexual harassment allegation and cited other violations of state policy.
Caldwell continues to dispute the findings, saying he resigned not because of what he called a “ridiculous report,” but because he did not want to distract from the Sherrill administration.
🔗 Cheap flights take off from this NJ airport — and more are coming
✈️ Breeze Airways launched $59 one-way flights from Trenton-Mercer Airport in Ewing to Charleston and Fort Lauderdale.
🌴 Nonstop flights to Vero Beach start Sept. 30, with fares beginning at $89.
☀️ Breeze will add nonstop service to Fort Myers in January, also starting at $89.
EWING — Finding a cheap flight is a breeze thanks to this new airline operating out of one New Jersey airport.
On Sept. 20, Breeze Airways launched low-cost one-way flights at Trenton Mercer Airport in Ewing, starting at $59, with nonstop service to Charleston, South Carolina and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Now, starting this Wednesday, Sept. 30, more destinations will be added.
Breeze Airways will start offering nonstop flights to Vero Beach, Florida on Wednesdays and Saturdays, while nonstop service to Fort Myers, Florida are set to launch on Jan. 8, 2027.
One-way flights for both of these destinations begin at $89.
First fall storm slams New Jersey
Gallery Credit: Erin Vogt
Significant or historical events in New Jersey for October (chronological order)
Gallery Credit: Dan Alexander
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