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Cape May, NJ – Ferocious winds and waves hammered Cape May’s beaches early Saturday, as the widely anticipated winter nor’easter charged ashore with a vengeance. Offshore seas were of hurricane like proportions, with wave heights reaching 18 to 23 feet according to NOAA.

Major winds helped whip up those waves. Cape May saw wind gusts as high as 50 to 60 miles per hour. One local wind gauge registered a gust over 70 miles per hour.



While Cape May escaped massive snow accumulations, this nasty nor’easter sent the early morning high tide to 9 feet, beating Superstorm Sandy by a hair.

Cape May had scattered flooding throughout the island, but nothing like the Jersey shore’s barrier island communities.

Cape Island Creek overflowed its banks, covering Wilbraham Park in West Cape May and lapping up against the front door of West End Garage, where water seeped under the door.



This was the view from the water logged park toward CVS.



Elmira Street, connecting West Cape May and Cape May, was impassable because of the back bay overflow that swamped the bridge over the creek. You could see remnants of the early morning snowfall that dropped about 5 inches of snow before the sleet and rain began.



There was also sporadic flooding along Cape May’s beachfront.

Pools of water blocked eastern sections of Cape May’s Beach Ave.



This was the corner of Pittsburgh Avenue and Beach early this morning.



More flooding near Yacht Avenue blocked outbound access to the Cape May bridge earlier in the day.

To prevent flooding in some spots along the beach, Cape May used mounds of sand to shore up some locations.

More flooding is likely during the high tides Saturday night and Sunday morning. The story of this monster winter storm is not over yet.

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