New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency Thursday afternoon in anticipation of Hurricane Erin, which is moving up the East Coast.

As a Navy veteran, Tom Ellis had seen more-impressive waves on the open seas — but not on the ocean in the popular barrier island town of Ocean City that he and his wife Pat call home. Standing on the music pier Thursday morning listening to the percussive sounds of white caps stirred by Hurricane Erin crashing on pilings and storm drain pipes,

The State of Emergency went into effect at 2 p.m. as coastal and flash flooding, dangerous surf warnings and advisories, as well as high winds are expected for several counties across the Garden State.