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All Residents Of Belmar, N.J. Ordered To Evacuate

BELMAR, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- All 5,900 residents of the town of Belmar, N.J. have been ordered to evacuate immediately.

The town has received notice from the National Weather Service that there will be unprecedented, record-setting tidal flooding in Monmouth County.

Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty tells CBS 2 that all residents of the town are subject to a mandatory evacuation order.

Businesses are also required to close by noon Monday, and may not reopen until further notice after damage is surveyed.

Anyone who stays behind is advised that if flooding occurs, emergency vehicles may not able to get to them, and they could be putting their own lives in danger.

Belmar is surrounded on three sides by water – the ocean, the Shark River, and a bay and marina area.

"What you're seeing now is the ocean churning. This is nothing compared to what we're expecting, and type of storm surge late Monday with a full moon and high tide – it's the sort of a combination; a recipe for a real problem for our town," Doherty told CBS 2's Jessica Schneider.

As of about 6:40 p.m., the water was washing up onto the shoreline and was poised to inundate the beach. But many people remained on the boardwalk nearby.

CBS 2 Meteorologist Lonnie Quinn said the storm will be the strongest that New Jersey has ever seen.

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