Seaside Park enacts new ‘No Wake Zone’ law to prevent people causing havoc in flooded streets
The new law took effect this month, meaning anyone caught creating a wave on a flooded street will pay a fine of up to $2000.
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Local residents fed up with thrill seekers speeding through flooded streets in one Ocean County town have helped create a new "no wake zone" ordinance. Now, anyone caught recklessly driving through the water, can face thousands of dollars in fines in Seaside Park.
"They are creating waves that impact the homes by the waves hitting the properties," said Council President Marty Wilk Jr., who also happens to be a homeowner in a flood zone. "Yahoos, joyriders - whatever they're called."
The last place one would expect to see a "no wake" sign is in a front yard. But with flooding on the increase along island towns like Seaside Park, fed up neighbors, including Marty Wilk Jr., say they have seen enough.
"They are causing property damage, but they are also causing damage to their own vehicles by having all that saltwater get into every component of the vehicle," he said.
The new law took effect this month, meaning anyone caught creating a wave on a flooded street will pay a fine of up to $2,000.
"You can't just ride through and create a wave that would impede over the height of the curb into someone's property," said Wilk.
The ordinance does not solve the flooding issue. Seaside Park Mayor John Peterson Jr. says they'll need a lot of help from the federal government.
"We need help at the federal level, the state level - whatever agencies are involved, but there's a lot of frustration expressed during every flood event by people of all backgrounds," said Peterson.
The mayor tells News 12 that all nine island towns have joined together and are working on flood mitigation measures and solutions on a state and federal level.
