Parts of the Jersey Shore are bracing for the highest tide levels in several years. Rough surf and strong winds from Hurricane Erin are battering beaches, and the storm is expected to cause major erosion.

"We've done some drone flyovers already measuring our beach so we have a good idea of how much beach we had before the storm and what we're going to lose," Atlantic City Fire Chief Scott Evans said.

The Atlantic City Beach Patrol says one of the areas of concern is the uptown beaches in front of the Ocean Casino Resort and Hard Rock. Officials say low tide is currently where high tide was about a month ago, and parts of the beach are already being wiped away.

"We have limited crews out there right now talking to everybody that's coming down there and letting them know," Atlantic City Beach Patrol Chief Scott Downey said, "and for the most part, people have been accommodating and understanding."

Moderate flooding is also a concern. Officials are keeping an eye on the Bungalow Park section of Atlantic City, as well as the area near Albany Avenue on the west side.

"This is going to be a one-tide event, so it'll be by midnight, we're anticipating our streets to be dry," Evans said.

In Brigantine, the mayor told CBS News Philadelphia that the north end of the island is also seeing the early impacts of Erin.

"If you look at our beach paths, there we have some concrete ADA beach paths that go out," Brigantine Mayor Vince Sera said. "They're already starting to erode. There's about a foot to a 2-foot drop where they were level with the beach."

"We may have some dune erosion at what we call the erosion hot spots areas adjacent to inlets," said Kim McKenna, the interim executive director of the Coastal Research Center at Stockton University, which studies changes to the coast caused by storms.

McKenna says any emergency repairs or maintenance needed because of Erin could go untouched after the latest federal budget. Shore towns received zero federal dollars this year for beach replenishment projects.

"All of that is in jeopardy right now because of the funding situation with Congress," McKenna said.

Officials say Congress usually allocates $100 to $200 million a year for beach projects across the country.

McKenna says it's not even peak hurricane season yet, and if South Jersey experiences major erosion, it could cause more coastal flooding and put more homes at risk.

"Just having a big beach for tourism is really a plus, but they're really designed for protecting homes, so without that, those homes will be more vulnerable," McKenna said.

Last month, Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew said he plans to meet with several mayors from shore communities to make sure federal funding returns next year. That meeting is set for Aug. 26.