$2,000 for making waves – coastal NJ city steps up enforcement

SEASIDE PARK – County officials say flooding on the roads is getting out of control and people are making it worse by driving through the water and causing a chain reaction.

Seaside Park has put an ordinance on the books to better inform motorists that they may have to pay a hefty fine if they drive through flooded streets at an unsafe speed.

“The wave that is created curls up the block and goes against the landscape of the people, garage doors and entry doors,” Council President Marty Wilk Jr. told New Jersey 101.5. “We must listen to our residents with their complaints, which are absolutely justified.”

The fine for causing waves on the street that go over the curb can be up to $2,000.

But Wilk said officials are more interested in creating a deterrent than “chasing people” with fines or rescuing people from stopped vehicles.

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According to Wilk, the city has more than 120 new signs that can be installed along roads before the expected flooding occurs.

The illuminated barriers inform motorists about the local rules. The ordinance does not prohibit people from traveling to or from their homes.

Wilk said road flooding isn’t just a problem along the bay; it also affects parts of the community inland.

“We have always had a problem with people driving through flooded roads, but the frequency of flooding has increased dramatically over the past year,” Wilk said.

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