Flash Flooding in New Jersey, July 13 to 14, 1996

Name: Flash Flooding in New Jersey, July 13 to 14, 1996
Start: 1996-07-13T08:15
End: 1996-07-14T09:15
Location: New Jersey

July 13 to 14, 1996 · NWS OKX · 5 events in 2 counties and zones

Torrential rain caused flooding of low lying and poor drainage areas, streams, and rivers across the area. Numerous rivers and small streams rose out of their banks and widespread roadway closures occurred due to flooding.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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.

As Tropical Storm Bertha moved northeast, passing east of Atlantic City around 11 am and off the Central New Jersey coast by early afternoon, it produced torrential rain across Northeast New Jersey.Torrential rain caused flooding of low lying and poor drainage areas, streams, and rivers across the area. Numerous rivers and small streams rose out of their banks and widespread roadway closures occurred due to flooding. At its' peak, rainfall rates were up to 2 inches per hour.Across Bergen County, the following streams and rivers rose above flood stage:Hohokus Brook at Hohokus from 8:15 am to 9:45 am EST. Flood stage is 3.0 feet. The crest stage was 3.05 feet at 9:15 am.The Saddle River at Lodi from 12:15 pm to 10:00 pm EST. Flood stage is 5.0 feet. The crest stage was 5.87 feet at 5:00 pm.The Ramapo River at Mahwah from 5:30 pm on July 13th through 9:15 am EST on July 14th. Flood stage is 8.0 feet. The crest stage was 8.47 feet on July 14th at 12:45 am.Here are selected rainfall amounts:For Passaic County: from 2.58 inches at Little Falls to 4.85 inches at West Milford.For Bergen County: from 2.17 inches at River Vale to 3.82 inches at Ridgewood.For Essex County: from 2.36 inches at Newark Airport to 2.96 inches at Essex Falls.For Hudson County: 2.32 inches was measured at Harrison.For Union County: from 2.43 inches at Elizabeth to 2.79 inches at Canoe Brook.Wind gusts were measured from 31 MPH at Caldwell Airport in Essex County to 41 MPH at Harrison in Hudson County. Newark Airport reported a wind gust of 40 MPH.

The radar

The Brookhaven radar (KOKX), 102 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:16 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Bergen

When: July 13, 8:15 AM EST to 9:45 AM EST
Where: Bergen County, Hohokus
Coordinates: 40.960, -74.074 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Bergen

When: July 13, 11:00 AM EST
Where: Bergen County, Oakland
Coordinates: 40.960, -74.074 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Essex

When: July 13, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Essex County, Newark
Coordinates: 40.787, -74.247 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Bergen

When: July 13, 12:15 PM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where: Bergen County, Lodi
Coordinates: 40.960, -74.074 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Bergen

When: July 13, 5:30 PM EST to July 14, 9:15 AM EST
Where: Bergen County, Mahwah
Coordinates: 40.960, -74.074 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

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

Every storm in New Jersey in 1996 Every state in 1996 This day in weather history Warnings in New Jersey, July 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: 5583910, 5583911, 5583912, 5583913, 5583914.