Rivers in New Jersey
Passaic River at Little Falls
Below flood stage
1.60ftStage
Observed Wed, Sep 23, 3:30 AM EDT
- Flood stage
- 7.00 ft
- Forecast crest
- 1.50 ftWed, Sep 23, 8:00 AM EDT
- Record crest
- 17.50 ft1903
Flood stages and impacts
| Category | Stage |
|---|---|
| Major flood | 9.00 ft |
| Moderate flood | 8.00 ft |
| Minor flood | 7.00 ft |
| Action | 6.50 ft |
- 12.00 ftWagaraw Road in Hawthorne, between Lafayette Avenue and Lincoln Avenue, is closed. Passaic Avenue, Schoon Avenue and Vincent Street are also closed. Homes and businesses flood.
- 11.50 ftTyler Street, Shady Street, Arch Street, Lowe Street, Wood Street, and Bleeker Street in Paterson are closed due to flooding.
- 11.00 ftThe West Broadway Bridge in Paterson is subject to closures.
- 10.50 ftBusinesses along Route 46 in Wayne begin to flood. Route 23 floods. The Willowbrook Mall experiences flooding. Haledon Avenue bridge in Paterson is subject to closures. Also in Paterson, portions of Straight Street, Union Avenue, West Broadway, Ryle Avenue, East Main Street, North Main Street, and Haledon Avenue are also subject to closures due to flooding.
- 10.00 ftWagaraw Road in Hawthorne is closed. Homes and businesses in Hawthorne, directly along the river, begin to flood. Water begins to flow over the Temple Street bridge in Paterson.
- 9.50 ftRoute 46 in Wayne is subject to closures. Riverside Drive in Wayne floods. Flooding in Little Falls worsens as homes on William Street and Zeliff Avenue take on water. Arch Street and Temple Street bridges in Paterson are subject to closures. Also in Paterson, portions of Watson Street, Hillman Street, Bergen Street, east Holsman Street, North 1st Street, Fifth Avenue, Sixth Avenue, and Goodwin Street are also subject to closures due to flooding.
- 9.00 ftWidespread flooding occurs throughout Lincoln Park and Wayne with many evacuations. In Paterson, portions of River Street, Presidential Boulevard, Bridge Street, Tyler Street, Totowa Avenue and Mclean Boulevard are flooded.
- 8.50 ftWidespread flooding occurs in Fairfield.
- 8.00 ftFlooding occurs in the "Old" Wayne area of Wayne. The recycling center and Wagaraw Road ball field complex in Hawthorne begins to experience flooding.
- 7.00 ftMinor flooding begins in Lincoln Park, Wayne and Little Falls.
- 6.50 ftLow lying areas in the vicinity of Two Bridges in Wayne are flooded. The lower end of Bergen Street in Paterson, closest to the river, begins to flood.
- 6.00 ftPortions of Hoffman Grove in Wayne sustain some nuisance flooding.
- 5.50 ftThe lower end of East-Holsman Street in Paterson, closest to the river, begins to flood.
Flood outlook
Chance of flooding, September to November
| Category | Chance |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 27% |
| Moderate flooding | 11% |
| Major flooding | 9% |
The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued August 28, 2026.
Crest history
48 crests on NOAA’s list since 1903.
| # | Date | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 10, 1903 | 17.50 ft |
| 2 | August 30, 2011 | 14.19 ft |
| 3 | April 7, 1984 | 12.91 ft |
| 4 | April 18, 2007 | 11.88 ft |
| 5 | March 16, 2010 | 11.87 ft |
| 6 | March 13, 2011 | 11.81 ft |
| 7 | September 9, 2011 | 11.05 ft |
| 8 | May 31, 1968 | 10.73 ft |
| 9 | December 20, 2023 | 10.29 ft |
| 10 | April 4, 2005 | 10.11 ft |
| 11 | June 1, 1984 | 10.08 ft |
| 12 | September 18, 1999 | 9.84 ft |
| 13 | October 18, 1955 | 9.45 ft |
| 14 | February 5, 1973 | 9.45 ft |
| 15 | June 25, 1972 | 9.45 ft |
| 16 | May 19, 1989 | 9.44 ft |
| 17 | September 4, 2021 | 9.30 ft |
| 18 | April 6, 1987 | 9.29 ft |
| 19 | October 14, 2005 | 9.23 ft |
| 20 | January 27, 1979 | 9.21 ft |
| 21 | March 29, 1978 | 9.18 ft |
| 22 | April 19, 2011 | 9.02 ft |
| 23 | March 22, 1983 | 9.00 ft |
| 24 | December 15, 1983 | 8.99 ft |
| 25 | March 9, 2011 | 8.98 ft |
Most recent crests
- January 15, 2024: 8.56 ft
- December 30, 2023: 7.47 ft
- December 20, 2023: 10.29 ft
- April 10, 2022: 7.44 ft
- September 4, 2021: 9.30 ft
- December 23, 2018: 7.37 ft
- November 28, 2018: 7.18 ft
- September 9, 2011: 11.05 ft
- August 30, 2011: 14.19 ft
- April 19, 2011: 9.02 ft
Nearby
Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.
What this means
Forecasts by the Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued routinely year-round. Gauge reading affected by reservoir operations.
Sources
Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service. Streamflow and the daily record from the U.S. Geological Survey.