August 21, 2025 brought the single-worst summertime tide on record for most of Atlantic and Cape May counties.
Beaches closed. Water rescues on the White and Black Horse Pikes. Feet of water on the roads.
That sparked me to create our ShorelySafe Flood Mapper.
For so long, the coast NEVER had a way to show where weather-driven tidal flooding would be. The flood mappers out there were either for landfalling hurricanes or trends decades away. Preparing for tidal flooding coming tomorrow has traditionally relied on local knowledge and *county*-specific forecasts.
I knew we could do better when Hurricane Erin passed 400 miles offshore. What about town level? Block level? House level? If you knew when and how high the salt water would be:
– There would be fewer water rescues.
– Cars and property would be protected better.
– Emergency Management would save time, and money.
So, we got to it. PJ Hondros joined ShorelySafe to help build it. He’s a young legend in the coastal processes space. After 3 months, we had a prototype and we’re fully functional now.
Here’s what ShorelySafe would have shown during Hurricane Erin last August in our ShorelySafe communities — street by street.
Want to know what this could look like for your town? www.shorelysafe.live/shorelysafe
