By Sunayana Prabhu
MONMOUTH COUNTY – A powerful nor’easter slammed the Jersey Shore with heavy rain, strong wind gusts and power outages Sept. 26 and 27. Some of the most significant flooding was in low-lying and coastal communities due to high tides.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill declared a state of emergency as the storm began late Friday and continued through the weekend, causing significant coastal flooding and beach erosion.
In a storm update Sept. 26, Monmouth County Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone noted that about 2,500 county residents were without power. The number fell to 68 by Monday, Sept. 28, according to JCP&L’s outage map. Yet, county officials continued to alert the public as roads in low-lying areas remained closed due to flooding Monday.
“We are reminding residents that floodwater may contain sewage, bacteria and other harmful substances, while standing water and wet materials can lead to mold and unhealthy conditions inside the home,”
Arnone said in a Sept. 28 update on the storm, urging people to avoid proximity to floodwater, damaged structures and downed power lines.
According to officials, the Monmouth County Park System is also making scheduling changes because of the weather. BelAire, Shark River and Howell golf courses are closed due to standing water, while the remaining courses were scheduled to open midday Oct. 1. The Henry Hudson Trail along the Bayshore in Atlantic Highlands is closed due to debris and erosion. All other parks are open, although the park system continues to assess downed trees along trails.
IMPACTED TOWNS
Along the Navesink River, Red Bank’s waterfront was one of the hardest-hit areas. “It’s probably the worst since (Super Storm) Sandy,” Andrew Zangle, commodore of the Monmouth Boat Club, said.
The clubhouse saw a “pretty significant flood” during the weekend nor’easter, he said. The water reached about 18 inches inside the clubhouse and roughly 36 inches in the yard.
Although the clubhouse is designed to withstand flooding, with floor vents that allow it to drain and doors that can be left open so water can flow through, Zangle said the weekend storm caused minor damage to some docks, clubhouse items and carts.
“It kind of reinforces the need for us to replace the foundation and raise the building a little bit,” he said.
The club plans to move the clubhouse about 50 feet inland and replace its foundation, parts of which date to around 1890. The building will be raised to nearly 2 feet while preserving its historic character. The work is planned for this winter, pending final approval from the borough.
Red Bank remained under a coastal flood advisory Monday as tidal impacts continued, although the powerful winds had subsided and weather improved with warmer temperatures and calmer winds.
On Sunday, Sept. 26, Holmdel Township reported about 150 JCP&L customers without power; on Monday, the township said all outages were resolved. A tree was down near the intersection of Longbridge Road and Willowbrook Road, but by Monday the township announced all roads were open.
Eatontown saw a significant transportation impact during the storm. Route 35 was closed Sunday from South Street to Clinton Avenue as flooding affected the roadway. The closure was among several road disruptions caused by flooding and storm conditions across the region.
Colts Neck experienced at least one significant road disruption when Route 34 was closed south of Newman Springs Road because of a downed tree.
JCP&L had not reported widespread power loss in Colts Neck, Tinton Falls, Little Silver or Shrewsbury.
As cleanup began, officials are continuing to monitor restoration efforts. U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-6) called on the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM), as well as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to conduct a survey to assess the damage to the state in anticipation of a federal disaster declaration.
“In some parts of my district, 6 to 7 feet of tidal flooding inundated businesses and homes, municipal infrastructure such as piers and bulkheads are severely damaged, and cars on the street are submerged in flood water,” Pallone wrote in a statement Sept. 28. “While it appears that flood control projects, berms, and raised homes saved many areas from even worse damage, the destruction left behind from this storm is significant.”
This article originally appeared in the October 1-7, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
