Belmar Braces for Record Flooding; Most Evacuated

Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty says most of his beach community's 5,900 year-around residents won't be in town to witness expected record flooding.

Most heeded his evacuation order to leave the Monmouth County town well before Monday night's high tide.

Belmar is surrounded on three sides by the Atlantic Ocean, Shark River and Shark River Inlet. It was a ghosttown by noon Monday, when businesses were ordered to close.

Doherty says adventurous types who were drawn to the beach to take pictures were quickly driven back by rain and wind. Doherty says 75 percent of the town may flood. The mayor expects Hurricane Sandy to leave a trail of beach erosion and boardwalk damage.

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