Atlantic City flooding submerged vehicles and forced some families to leave their homes on Saturday as a powerful nor’easter pushed water into low-lying neighbourhoods after high tide.
Streets near North California Avenue, close to the bay, were inundated, while water spilled into West End Avenue and left at least one driver abandoning their car.
Visitors from the Bronx described rapidly rising water in the city. Kiylah Denee said she and others had put rubbish bags over their feet in an attempt to stay dry.
“If it’s not that important, then don’t risk your car, don’t risk yourself, don’t risk your safety,” she said.
Tiny H, also visiting from the Bronx, said the severity of the flooding matched warnings issued ahead of the storm.
“It’s not blown out of proportion. What they expressed is exactly what’s happening. It’s way past your foot,” Tiny H said.
The flooding was not uniform across Atlantic City. Jeanette Panning, who lives in the city, said a friend in a bayside area had water reaching their porch, while dunes had helped protect other sections from flooding.
“This side very rarely floods because they’ve done such a great job with the dunes,” she said.
Nick Furnari, visiting from Sussex County, New Jersey, said he had seen no flooding near the beach and boardwalk, describing conditions there as “totally fine”.
Along the boardwalk, rough surf left visible marks showing how close the water had reached the ramps.
The National Weather Service had issued a coastal flood warning for the Atlantic coast, forecasting two to three feet of inundation above ground level in low-lying areas near shorelines and tidal waterways. It warned that flooding could lead to widespread road closures and leave some communities isolated. ([forecast.weather.gov](https://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?firewxzone=NJZ025&lat=39.36&local_place1=Atlantic+City+NJ&lon=-74.43&product1=High+Surf+Advisory&warncounty=NJC001&warnzone=NJZ025))
A high wind warning was also in effect, with north winds of 30 to 40mph and gusts of up to 60mph forecast for the coastal area. ([forecast.weather.gov](https://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?firewxzone=NJZ025&lat=39.36&local_place1=Atlantic+City+NJ&lon=-74.43&product1=High+Surf+Advisory&warncounty=NJC001&warnzone=NJZ025))
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill declared a state of emergency across eight counties, including Atlantic, from 5pm on Friday 25 September. The order activated the state emergency operations centre and brought agencies including the state police, transport department and county emergency management offices into a co-ordinated response. ([nj.gov](https://nj.gov/governor/news/2026/approved/20260925a.shtml))
Officials urged people to avoid unnecessary travel and warned motorists never to drive through floodwater.
