Smooth Dogfish Shark Swims Through Flooded New Jersey Streets During Nor'easter
On September 26, a smooth dogfish shark was spotted swimming through the inundated streets of Surf City, New Jersey, amid a nor'easter. Drew Procaccino, a local resident, recorded the shark, which marine biologist Greg Skomal confirmed as a small, harmless species typical of the area. The nor'easter brought intense rainfall, strong winds, and coastal flooding, resulting in significant travel interruptions and power outages. Tragically, a 56-year-old man named Leighton Brown lost his life after being hit by a falling tree in Brooklyn. In New York City, nearly 1,000 trees were downed. Firefighters in Middletown Township rescued a doe caught in a fence, while a dog named Daisy gained fame for kayaking through flooded Ocean City, New Jersey.
Key facts
- A smooth dogfish shark was spotted swimming in flooded streets of Surf City, New Jersey, on September 26 during a nor'easter.
- Resident Drew Procaccino filmed the shark around noon as it swam up his driveway toward Barnegat Bay.
- Marine biologist Greg Skomal identified the shark as a smooth dogfish, a small, harmless species common in those waters.
- The nor'easter caused heavy rain, high winds, and coastal flooding, resulting in at least one death and nearly 1,000 fallen trees in New York City.
- The storm may have uncovered a 19th-century shipwreck on Nantucket.
- In Middletown Township, New Jersey, firefighters rescued a doe stuck in a metal fence.
- A dog named Daisy went viral after riding a kayak through flooded streets in Ocean City, New Jersey.
- Nor'easters are most common between September and April and typically form between Georgia and New Jersey.
Entities
Artists
- Drew Procaccino
- Greg Skomal
- Leighton Brown
- Matthew Belk
- Rob Allen
- Robin Shaffer
- Sarah Kuta
Institutions
- Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
- Massachusetts Shark Research Program
- ABC News
- National Weather Service
- Associated Press
- Washington Post
- WHYY
- Middletown Township Fire Department
- ABC7NY
- Smithsonian Magazine
Locations
- Surf City
- New Jersey
- United States
- Long Beach Island
- Barnegat Bay
- Massachusetts
- Canada
- Argentina
- Brooklyn
- New York City
- Georgia
- Norton
- Middletown Township
- Nantucket
- Ocean City
- Longmont
- Colorado