Clean up efforts continue, utility crews are trying to restore power to those still without as folks along the Jersey Shore are sifting through rubble that was once their homes in the wake of Sandy. Unfortunately, another Nor'easter is on the way and is expected to hit mid-week.

Andrew Burton, Getty Images
Andrew Burton, Getty Images
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"This is the last thing we need to hear at this time. We've had a good week of weather, slightly chilly, but now we're faced with a stand-alone Nor'easter, not fed by a tropical storm," said New Jersey State Climatologist at Rutgers University Dr. Dave Robinson. "It's nothing approaching what we saw last Monday, but it will bring some potential flooding along the coast, strong winds and some heavy rain."

"It can cause further erosion along the shore, tidal flooding and bring a lot of water into the streams, but there is no fresh water flooding expected. The winds could gust in the 50 to 60 mile per hour range on the coast, not as strong inland," said Robinson. "That would be a nasty, uncomfortable storm were it not to come on the heels of Sandy, but on the heels of Sandy, with beach defenses damaged and disappeared, limbs still hanging in the trees and power lines that may have only been stitched together awaiting a better fix when everyone gets their power back, there are some added worries."

There is a bit of good news.

"This storm would go up along and off shore. It has no intentions of making a left turn and coming inland. So, it would bring the strongest winds along the coast with a slacking of the winds inland. With the precarious branches and uprooted trees and the power grid so susceptible, it adds some additional concerns. There is still room in the forecast for the storm to go a little further off shore and not be quite as strong. But, it is going to be a little colder than it was during Sandy, so there could be a little snow, particularly in the higher elevations in New Jersey at the onset of this storm," said Robinson.

It's not the first time New Jersey has gotten a 'one-two punch.'

"All you have to do is look at last year, particularly in the western part of the state. A week or so after Irene, the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee hit the western part of the state. The most famous 'one-two punch' was in August of 1955 with Hurricanes Connie and Diane. They came one right after the other and resulted in record flooding on the Delaware River. So, we've seen these patterns. When you open the door to a particular pattern, sometimes you'll get multiple events," he said.

"The problem with the coast is that some of the inlets have opened up, dunes have been destroyed and that leaves us open and vulnerable," said Robinson.

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