Flooding in New Jersey, January 27 to 31, 1996

One to one and a half inches of rain fell on saturated soil and caused flooding of the larger streams and rivers in Northwest New Jersey. A 71-year-old man died from hypothermia after his rowboat capsized and fell into the Passaic River near Forest Avenue in Lincoln Park in Morris County the evening of the 28th. Elsewhere in Morris County, about 20 roads were closed in Lincoln Park and 5 roads were closed in Pequannock. In Denville, flooding along the Rockaway River forced the evacuation of ten families. The flooding forced road closures in Branchburg and Bridgewater in Somerset County.The Delaware River along Warren County flooded again, but not as severely as the previous weekend. In Phillipsburg, the Delaware crested at 22.38 feet at noon on the 28th. Flood Stage is 22 feet. In Riegelsville, the river crested at 22.28 feet at 10 a.m. on the 28th. Flood stage is 19 feet. In Sussex County, the Flat Brook at Flatbrookville crested at 7.05 feet at 3 a.m. on the 28th. Flood stage is 6 feet. In Hunterdon County, the South Branch of the Raritan River at High Bridge crested just above flood stage (10 feet) at 10.04 feet at 11 p.m. on the 27th. In Somerset County, the Millstone River at Blackwell Mills crested at 9.96 feet at 8 a.m. on the 28th. Flood stage is 9 feet. The Raritan River in Manville crested at 14.47 feet at 6 a.m. on the 28th. Flood stage is 12 feet. The Raritan River in Bound Brook crested at 28.4 feet at 6 a.m. on the 28th. Flood stage is 26 feet. In Morris County, the Pompton River at Pompton Plains crested at 16.96 feet at 10 a.m. on the 28th. Flood stage is 16 feet. The Rockaway River above the Boonton Reservoir crested at 5.6 feet at 4 a.m. on the 28th. Flood stage is 5 feet. The Rockaway River below the Boonton Reservoir crested at 7.28 feet at 11 a.m. on the 28th. Flood stage is 5 feet. The river did not recede to bankfull until 9 p.m. on the 30th. The Passaic River at Chatham crested at its flood stage of 6 feet at 9 p.m. on the 27th. Elsewhere along the Passaic River, at Pine Brook it crested at 20.36 feet at 7 a.m. on the 29th. Flood stage is 19 feet. At Two Bridges, the river crested at 11.87 feet at 7 a.m. on the 29th. Flood stage is 9 feet. It took until the evening of the 31st for the Passaic to fall below flood stage at these two locations.