Live Updates: Weathering Irene in Barnegat

Barnegat Patch will be bringing readers updates tonight from Barnegat's shelter at Brackman Middle School as Hurricane Irene bears down on the Jersey Shore. If you're in the area, send us your observations of the storm.

6:50 a.m. Sunday: Township administrator David Breeden has just given us a morning update, and said Barnegat and Ocean Township fared surprisingly well overnight.

The area got about 6 inches of rain, with peak wind gusts topping out at about 65 miles per hour. Flooding along the bayfront was "minimal to moderate," he said, and much less severe than expected.

Trees came down in various parts of the township, but crews dealt with them quickly, Breeden said.

Much of Waretown is without power, he said, but there are only isolated areas of power outage in Barnegat. All roads in Barnegat are passable, with the exception of East Bay Avenue along the bayfront. 

Periods of heavy rain and gusty winds are expected to continue through this morning, but officials hope to make a decision about allowing people back into the evacuation zones at some point today, Breeden said.

The evacuees from Atlantic City sheltering in Barnegat might be a different story, Breeden said – the city suffered what appears to be major flooding overnight.

6:20 a.m. Sunday: Steady, strong winds outside, but it doesn't look much like the eye of a hurricane yet.

Mike Wimmer of Little Egg Harbor and his brother Brian Wimmer of Atlantic City were taking a cigarette break just outside the door to the cafeteria as the sky lightened.

"This ain't the first hurricane I've seen," Mike Wimmer said. He saw Gloria, Andrew and a couple more. The brothers were staying in Atlantic City, but heeded a friend's warning to get out ahead of the hurricane. Reports say the worst of the storm has descended on Mike's own town of Little Egg this morning. "I'm just worried about my boat," he said.

6:04 a.m. Sunday: Landfall at Little Egg Harbor inlet, according to a call made to the shelter moments ago.

5:46 a.m. Sunday: Periods of intense wind gusts still raking Barnegat. According to weather reports, the eye of the storm is about to come ashore in the Atlantic City/Brigantine areas. Things are quiet but starting to stir at the shelter – coffee's on.

2:50 a.m. Sunday: Sounds like the generators have kicked on here, which would mean we lost external power at the shelter. We're in good company if that's the case – nearly 22,000 JCP&L customers without power in Ocean, including a handful in Barnegat. Nearly 50,000 in Monmouth.

2:15 a.m. Sunday: The eye of the storm is still off the Delmarva Peninsula, but the periods of intense wind gusts here are getting more frequent and very loud. Reports are coming across of damage in other shore towns, like this .

11:30 p.m Saturday: Township administrator David Breeden says a tornado was reported in the Warren Grove area not long ago, but for the most part, things in Barnegat have been "uneventful so far." A few power outages, but nothing widespread. Public works employees, police and utilities are responding to reports of downed trees around the township. Police are patrolling everywhere, especially in the evacuated areas, Breeden said.

There's now flooding on East Bay Avenue between the municipal dock and the bay beach, making the roadway there impassable, he said. Other roads are flooded due to heavy rain, but remain passable.

11 p.m. Saturday: Large parts of the shore are going dark. JCP&L says 13,000 people are without power in central Jersey. Reports of outages in Manahawkin and Toms River.

10:15 p.m. Saturday: Major power outages being reported in parts of the shore area, including Atlantic City, Neptune and Howell. Atlantic City Electric has just distributed a press release saying it's considering powering down the grid on the barrier islands in Atlantic and Ocean counties.

10 p.m. Saturday: According to police communications, there have been multiple reports of a tornado touching down near Surf City on Long Beach Island.

9:25 p.m. Saturday: National Weather Service says major tornado warning for southern Ocean County. Fast-moving thunderstorm capable of producing a twister moving northwest through the area.

9 p.m. Saturday: Heavy rains are pounding the school's roof as a few more residents trickle in, seeking shelter. The gym roof has sprung a leak, but other than that, things are holding together.

Officials say nearly everyone has left the eastern section of the township under the evacuation notice, though a few people near the marina are sticking out the storm. 

8 p.m. Saturday: Reports from further north in Ocean County say high surf has eaten up the beach in Seaside and Point Pleasant Beach.

The tornado watch for the area has been extended to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Here in Barnegat, there's wind and rain, but little else.

Some Atlantic City residents who were bused here are worried about what they'll return to. Recent high school graduate Michael Misgana caught the last bus leaving the city after convincing his mom they should ride to safety.

"Almost everyone was forced to go," he said. "I live in the inlet, and it was like a ghost town." Buses were driving through the streets, "just scooping up people at random." 

After being turned away from an overcrowded shelter in their home county, they were brought to Barnegat. His thoughts are still with the city, where a storm surge could inundate several areas.

"I live in a building," he said, "and I don't know if the foundation is strong enough to handle that much water."

7 p.m. Saturday: Dinner is over for the 100-plus people sheltering at the Brackman School, and evacuees are passing the time playing cards and keeping an eye on the weather in the TV room.

Mayor Jeffrey Melchiondo dropped in, saying the water is about a foot below the bulkheads on the bayshore, and tonight's high tide will result in significant flooding.

A tornado watch is in effect for the area for another hour, but there have been no reports of twisters.