Jersey Shore Businesses Face Cleanup After Powerful Nor’easter Batters Coast

Jersey Shore Businesses Face Cleanup After Powerful Nor’easter Batters Coast

A powerful nor’easter left behind flooding, wind damage and a major cleanup for businesses along the Jersey Shore after the storm swept through New Jersey over the weekend.

From Cape May to Long Beach Island and Asbury Park, several familiar Shore destinations were forced to deal with the effects of heavy rain and strong winds, with some businesses closing temporarily as they assessed the damage.

In Cape May, flooding reached inside The Lobster House, where video showed water covering portions of the restaurant’s dining room and outdoor seating area. The restaurant announced it would be closed Sunday while crews assessed the situation and said it would provide an update on reopening.

Further north, the storm caused significant damage at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park. Powerful winds ripped apart portions of the roof covering the venue’s Summer Stage Saturday night, adding another layer of cleanup for one of the Shore’s best-known music destinations.

Flooding was also evident in Stone Harbor, where Fred’s Tavern shared photos showing water covering much of the sidewalk outside the restaurant. Despite the flooding, the restaurant announced Sunday afternoon that it was open.

On Long Beach Island, the storm’s impact was particularly noticeable inside The Beach House Restaurant, where approximately 5 inches of water reportedly flooded the dining room.

The damage varied from business to business, but the weekend storm created a costly and time-consuming cleanup along portions of the Jersey Shore. Restaurants and venues were left to remove water, assess damage and determine when they could safely resume normal operations.

For Shore businesses that rely heavily on weekend customers, the timing of the storm added another challenge as they worked to recover from one of the region’s more disruptive weather events in recent memory.

The storm left thousands of homes and businesses across New Jersey without power Sunday.