Shark Spotted Swimming in Flooded New Jersey Driveway During Nor'easter
A dogfish shark was seen navigating the inundated streets of Surf City after a powerful storm brought heavy rains and significant flooding to the region.
A New Jersey resident encountered an unusual sight on Saturday: a small shark swimming in the flooded driveway of his Surf City home. The nor'easter that battered the East Coast brought at least seven inches of rain to the state, causing widespread flooding.
Drew Procaccino captured video of the shark, which he initially mistook for a fish. "At first we thought it was just a fish, which would have been cool, but a baby shark was even better," Procaccino told Storyful.
The shark was identified as a dogfish shark, a species common to areas near the western Atlantic Ocean, by Dr. Greg Skomal, a white shark expert with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries. Skomal described the dogfish shark as harmless.
The shark was seen swimming in the muddy floodwaters before eventually heading towards the Barnegat Bay. The storm also caused numerous boats to wash ashore, damaging docks and piers due to high winds. NJ Transit suspended service on its North Jersey Coast Line, and Newark Liberty International Airport halted flights on Sunday because of the severe weather.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill declared a state of emergency for eight counties, including Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Cumberland, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Salem, citing the potential for damaging winds, heavy rain, significant coastal flooding, and beach erosion.