Flash Flood in New Jersey, January 19, 1996

The combination of melting snow from the previous week's record breaking storms, unseasonably warm temperatures and an additional one to two inches of rain caused the flash flooding of almost every ungaged stream as well as severe urban flooding. By the early afternoon on the 19th stranded motorists were rescued in almost every county. Many roads were closed. Above normal tides compounded the problem by slowing the release of water by inland streams. While the flashier type flooding started to abate during the early evening of the 19th, larger streams and rivers continued to rise and flooding continued along some of them until the 21st. No serious injuries were reported. Damage estimates from all the flooding are listed in the next entry.In Gloucester County, 15 families were evacuated from the Willow Trailer Park by boat in West Deptford after the Woodbury Creek overflowed. In Salem County, the heavy rain caused a cellar to collapse in a Woodstown Road home. In Cumberland County, the Cohansey River flooded in Bridgeton behind city hall. Flooding was also reported along the Maurice River. In Camden County, flooding along the Cooper River forced the closure of the Admiral Wilson Boulevard. In Burlington County several homes along the Rancocas Creek were evacuated in Mount Laurel. Above normal tides along the Delaware River and Bay contributed to the problem in the latter three counties. Also in Burlington County the North Branch of the Rancocas Creek flooded in Pemberton forcing the evacuation of one family and flooding along the South Branch of the Rancocas Creek forced the voluntary evacuations of several other families in Southampton. In Mercer County flooding along the Stony Brook resulted in fourteen water rescues including six children in Princeton. In Monmouth County creek flooding caused several road closures in Freehold. In Somerset County, one of the most dramatic rescues occurred at 2 p.m. on the 19th as a father and son were recovered from the top of their minivan that was stuck in the flooded Lamington River. In Middlesex County U.S. Route 1 was closed in Woodbridge. In Warren County a mudslide closed County Road 609 in Knowlton. Flash flooding of a nearby stream in Allamuchy forced the evacuation of a school. In Hunterdon County, a Lambertville Public School was evacuated at 2 p.m. when flooding from a nearby creek started inundating the building. In Sussex County another mudslide destroyed one home and damaged the two adjoining ones in Sparta.