Jersey shore residents hope rising water stops at their doorsteps

OCEAN CITY, N.J. (WTXF) - "We always say prayers and keep fingers crossed that it won't come up into the house," said Gerry Hess.

Wind gusts blast over 35 miles per hour and heavy, incessant rain fell, even before high tide flood waters rose fast on Haven Avenue in front of Gerry Hess's Ocean City home.

"Oh yeah we watch. We watch everything," said Hess.

Two decades of shore town living taught Gerry to be watchful - she and her neighbors are concerned but not panicked.

"It can't be worse than Sandy. I hope. We'll see," Bill Desio said.

Bill Desio was battening down the hatches at his bay front home.

"I want to get all the chairs off the porch so they don't blow around and into other people's houses," Desio said.

Wary of what's to come as the week plays out. Florence now hardened into a full on hurricane.

"We're going to have renters, number one, later this week, which I don't think they're going to come now," Desio stated.

As night wore on, road after road washed out. Police placed barriers and closure signs as the potential for danger loomed large.

"People try to drive through it and then they get stuck," Anthony Derose explained.

Even the Fox 29 live truck was forced to reverse course.

Ocean City firefighters stand by with an eye on the rain and rising tide. They have a five ton modified storm truck ready for possible rescues.

"Our primary concern is going through the high tide cycle and the into morning looking at how much it subsided or not," said Ocean City Fire Department Captain Tom Schallcross.

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