Potential flooding at Shore could be reminiscent of Sandy, officials say

Of particular concern to emergency management officials along the New Jersey coast are the three high-tide cycles coupled with a full moon beginning early Saturday morning as the storm is expected to start growing in strength. Watch video

With Hurricane Sandy still fresh on their minds, emergency management officials in Monmouth and Ocean counties say they're as prepared as possible for the impending storm that could cause flooding not seen since then.

"We're ready," said Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy. "We're monitoring everything, but we have to see what presents to us. Obviously we can't control the weather."

Some towns have already issued mandatory or voluntary evacuations.

Of particular concern to emergency management officials along the New Jersey coast are the three high-tide cycles coupled with a full moon beginning early Saturday morning as the storm is expected to start growing in strength.

The forecasts have been for tides close to those during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, when floods inundated many Shore communities.

"Obviously, post-Sandy, everybody is looking at that," Mastronardy said. "We have a benchmark. We feel prepared."

That combination of high tides and a full moon makes for higher-than-usual high tides, which is setting up the area for tides 2-to-4 feet higher than normal, said Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden.

Calm before the storm means moving cars, people in Shore towns

With winds expected to be sustained at anywhere from 20 to 40 mph and gusting up to 55 mph, each successive high tide incrementally will have trouble going back out again, he said. It's the second and third high tides - Saturday night and Sunday morning - that concern emergency officials the most, he said.

There's also the potential for an added complication from the snow, Golden said.

"It gets a bit more difficult when we get that slushy freezing water that doesn't allow for it to drain properly," he said.

Because freezing rain or heavy snow could bring down power lines, Golden said, residents should be prepared for the possibility of a power outage.

On Friday, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, a Monmouth County resident and Golden's predecessor, toured the county's public safety center, the 911 communications center and a special operations vehicle in Freehold.

The county will have 115 pieces of equipment clearing snow off county roads or at county locations for the storm, said Cynthia Scott, spokeswoman for the sheriff's office.

Scott urged county residents to link up with the office through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram (@MonmouthSheriff) or download the office's App for urgent push notifications and weather information through the Google Play Store or Apple App Search Store by searching Monmouth County Sheriff's Office.