9 rescued from motels as bay water reaches major flood stage

🚨9 adults and a dog were rescued after water flooded first-floor motel rooms

🚨A nearby gauge recorded its third-highest crest and highest level since Sandy

🚨The roof of the Sussex County Y also collapsed

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — Nine adults and a dog were rescued from two motels Saturday morning after an extremely high tide pushed 2–3 feet of water into first-floor rooms.

Strong winds that gusted to nearly 60 mph early Saturday morning pushed water from Lakes Bay toward the Travel Inn and the New Sea Breeze Motels on Route 322 (Black Horse Pike) in the West Atlantic City section of Egg Harbor Township during high tide,

Water reached the first-floor rooms just after 9 a.m., according to Egg Harbor Township Police Chief Frederick Spano.

ALSO READ: Dan Zarrow's latest on the nor'easter

High water on the Black Horse Pike in Egg Harbor Township Satuday, Sept. 26, 2026 (Egg Harbor Township police)

Bay water reached major flood stage near Atlantic City

The bay-side gauge in nearby Margate was more than 2 feet above flood stage and into the “major” flooding category Saturday morning, according to Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow.

It was the third-highest crest on record and the highest since Superstorm Sandy.

“Water levels in New Jersey's bays and tidal waterways have been running high all week due to persistent on-shore winds. A final push of strong wind and storm surge on Saturday morning caused the especially big push in water from Lakes Bay towards the motels,” Zarrow said.

ALSO READ: Storm disrupts events across New Jersey

High water in the parking lot of the Travel Inn on the Black Horse Pike in Egg Harbor Township Satuday, Sept. 26, 2026 (Egg Harbor Township police)

Nine people and a dog were evacuated

A high-water rescue vehicle was used to evacuate the hotels. One of the adults was in a wheelchair.

When firefighters returned to sweep the hotels, a small fire was found in a room at the Travel Inn and was extinguished.

No one was injured, and the guests returned to rooms on the second floors of the respective motels later in the day.

The Travel Inn was one of three motels flooded nearly a year ago that needed to be evacuated after ignoring flood warnings.

Sussex County Y after its roof collapsed Sat., Sept. 26, 2026 (Used with permission of the Sussex County Y)

Nor’easter damages Sussex County YMCA

The storm also caused significant damage farther north in New Jersey.

The roof of the Sussex County YMCA in Hardystown sustained “significant roof damage” early Saturday and closed pending an inspection. The Y announced Sunday the damaged metal roof section was removed, and the building inspector has granted approval to reopen Monday except for the pool area.

"We know some of you experienced disruption to classes and pool access during this closure. Our leadership team is currently assessing the full scope before making decisions on compensation, and we'll share more once we have the complete picture," the organization wrote on its Facebook page.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom

First fall storm slams New Jersey

The first fall nor'easter of 2026 rolled in overnight, the last weekend of September. By Saturday afternoon, much of Long Beach Island and other Shore spots were underwater, with stronger than usual high tides and coastal flooding.

Elsewhere in New Jersey, gusty winds downed trees and caused other chaos, as seen in these audience submitted photos.

Gallery Credit: Erin Vogt