Atlantic City is cleaning up after a powerful nor’easter battered the South Jersey coast, leaving severe beach erosion, damaged access points and striking scenes near the Showboat resort.
Drone footage shared Sunday shows extensive damage along parts of the beachfront, including the Jurassic Beach area near Showboat, where several large dinosaur figures appear knocked over and scattered across the ground.
Jurassic Beach is a seasonal outdoor dinosaur attraction located near the Showboat Resort, featuring large dinosaur replicas and family-oriented activities. The footage suggests the beachfront attraction took a significant hit from the storm, although an official damage assessment for Jurassic Beach has not yet been released.
The broader damage to Atlantic City’s shoreline is well documented. Atlantic City Beach Patrol officials told CBS Philadelphia that this weekend’s nor’easter caused the worst beach erosion the city has seen since Hurricane Sandy. About a half-mile stretch north of Steel Pier was particularly hard hit.
The storm carved into dunes, exposed previously buried structures and left steep drop-offs in the sand. Officials said roughly half of the dunes remained in some of the hardest-hit areas, while city crews were expected to work on making damaged beach access safer. The Boardwalk itself was not reported damaged.
Before the storm arrived, Atlantic City officials had warned residents and visitors about strong winds, heavy rain, coastal flooding and dangerous surf. The city also urged people to stay away from beaches, jetties and piers as conditions worsened over several high-tide cycles.
During the height of the storm, large waves crashed toward the Boardwalk and significant street flooding was reported, particularly on the eastern side of the city near the back bay.
By Monday morning, the nor’easter was beginning to move out of the region, but Atlantic City and other Jersey Shore communities were still dealing with the aftermath, including erosion, flooding and power problems.
For Atlantic City, some of the most memorable images from the storm may be the unusual scene left behind near Showboat: giant dinosaurs from Jurassic Beach lying across the storm-battered beachfront — a visual reminder of just how powerful the weekend nor’easter became.
Sources: City of Atlantic City, CBS Philadelphia, Atlantic City Beach Patrol
By NJ RADAR Team