New Jersey, 1996

Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in New Jersey, December 2, 1996

December 2, 1996 · NWS OKX · 7 events in 4 counties and zones

A low pressure system over the Ohio Valley early Sunday morning on December 1st, intensified as it moved northeast across Eastern Canada during early Monday morning. Lines of thunderstorms formed in the moist unstable airmass ahead of the cold front.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS OKX wrote it up.

A low pressure system over the Ohio Valley early Sunday morning on December 1st, intensified as it moved northeast across Eastern Canada during early Monday morning. A strong cold front that extended southwest from this low, swept across the local region early Monday morning.Lines of thunderstorms formed in the moist unstable airmass ahead of the cold front. These storms produced numerous wind gusts from 58 MPH in East Orange of Essex County to 65 MPH at both Garwood and Berkeley Heights in Union County.Thunderstorms also caused torrential rainfall. The Ramapo River at Mahwah crested at 8.10 feet, just above its' 8.00 foot flood stage. Small stream, street, and poor drainage flooding was widespread over Union, Passaic, and Bergen Counties.Occasional rain began across the region during Saturday afternoon, November 30th. Here are selected rainfall event totals:For Passaic County: from 1.82 inches at Wanaque to 4.51 inches at Ringwood.For Bergen County: from 2.00 inches at Franklin Lakes to 4.38 inches at Saddle River.For Essex County: from 1.83 inches at Newark Airport to 3.60 inches at Verona.For Hudson County: from 1.59 inches at Jersey City to 2.20 inches at Harrison.For Union County: from 2.15 inches at Canoe Brook to 2.61 inches at Elizabeth.

The radar

The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 79 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:58 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 flash flood, 3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Union

When
December 2, 2:00 AM EST to 2:12 AM EST
Where
Union County, Garwood to Clark
Measured
57 kt (66 mph)
Coordinates
40.650, -74.320

Thunderstorm Wind, Essex

When
December 2, 2:05 AM EST to 2:15 AM EST
Where
Essex County, Millburn to East Orange
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
40.720, -74.320

Thunderstorm Wind, Bergen

When
December 2, 2:15 AM EST
Where
Bergen County, Little Ferry
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
40.850, -74.070

Flash Flood, Union

When
December 2, 2:20 AM EST
Where
Union County, Rahway
Coordinates
40.660, -74.309 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Passaic

When
December 2, 2:20 AM EST
Where
Passaic County, Countywide
Coordinates
41.034, -74.300 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Bergen

When
December 2, 2:20 AM EST
Where
Bergen County, Countywide
Coordinates
40.960, -74.074 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Bergen

When
December 2, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Bergen County, Mahwah
Coordinates
40.960, -74.074 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New Jersey in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in New Jersey, December 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5582296, 5582297, 5582298, 5582299, 5582300, 5582301, 5582302.