The Philadelphia region is experiencing coastal flooding due to the lingering effects of two distant Atlantic storms, Humberto and Imelda.
The National Weather Service has issued coastal flood advisories for the Jersey Shore and areas along the Delaware River. The advisory is in effect for the Shore from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, and for areas near the river from 8 p.m. Wednesday to 1 a.m. Thursday.
According to Ray Martin, a lead meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, long-period ocean swells from the churning storms are causing “tidal-piling along the coast and back bays.” This effect is compounded by stiff onshore winds, with gusts potentially reaching 40 mph in beach towns. Officials warn that the minor flooding could lead to some road closures. High tide is expected along the Jersey coast around 3 p.m. Wednesday and at 10 p.m. along the Delaware River, which is forecast to crest at 8.7 feet at Washington Avenue—about half a foot above flood stage.
In the mid-Atlantic, former Hurricane Humberto, located about 350 miles north of Bermuda, was weakening late Wednesday morning with peak winds dropping to 70 mph. The National Hurricane Center announced it would cease issuing advisories for the storm. Meanwhile, Hurricane Imelda, with top winds of 100 mph, was situated well off the Carolina coast, following a similar path as Humberto into the far North Atlantic.
Robbie Berg, the hurricane center’s warning coordination chief, described the interaction between the two storms as a “definitely a rare occurrence.”
Despite the coastal effects, AccuWeather Inc. notes that for the first time in 10 years, no hurricane has made landfall in the United States by this point in the season. The local forecast for the Philadelphia region is also calm, with sunny skies and temperatures around 70 degrees expected through the workweek, leading into a warm and pleasant weekend.
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