Jersey Shore Towns Brace For Impact From Hurricane Sandy
SEA GIRT, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Officials along the Jersey Shore have already begun preparations for the storm.
The latest forecast model shows a 90 percent chance that Hurricane Sandy will veer towards the Tri-State Area by early next week.
"We're obviously concerned, but we tend to focus on being prepared," Sea Girt Borough Administrator Alan Bunting told CBS 2's Vanessa Murdock on Thursday.
MORE: Keep An Eye On The Forecast
Bunting said the borough has been busy since Tuesday making plans and making progress on their winter berms. Crews have been moving sand at an accelerated pace to create additional mounds on the beach to protect the boardwalk, Murdock reported.
"They will help diffuse some of the power of waves, save the permanent dune structure," Assistant Borough Administrator Jay Amberg told Murdock.
The permanent dunes protected the boardwalk from disaster during last year's storm caused by the remnants of what was Hurricane Irene. Officials said they're confident the dunes will protect the town again this go-round.
"We had about $10,000 worth of damage to our boardwalk. We were a little more fortunate than our sister town," of Spring Lake, Bunting said.
EXTRA: National Hurricane Center Models
River levels across New Jersey are at normal to below normal levels and experts said it would take roughly four inches of rain over a 24-hour period for minor river flooding to begin.
CBS 2 is forecasting that Sandy will dump five or more inches of rain, which would mean both river flooding and urban flooding are likely, Murdock reported.
"This could potentially be a storm that many, many people the likes of which have never seen before, including possibly myself," Amberg told Murdock.
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