New Jersey, 1996

Flash Flood in New Jersey, July 31, 1996

July 31, 1996 · NWS PHI · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Thunderstorms with torrential downpours caused urban and poor drainage flooding as well as the flash flooding of smaller streams in the northern part of the county. Several roads were closed due to severe flooding in South Plainfield.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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
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  • Cold
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  • Marine and coastal
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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 PHI wrote it up.

Thunderstorms with torrential downpours caused urban and poor drainage flooding as well as the flash flooding of smaller streams in the northern part of the county. Several roads were closed due to severe flooding in South Plainfield. Storm totals ranged between 2 and 4.5 inches, most of which fell in the two hours ending at 1130 a.m. EDT. The highest reported amount was 4.52 inches in New Brunswick. Other storm totals included 2.78 inches in Iselin and 2.35 inches in Woodbridge.

The radar

The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 55 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:43 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Middlesex

When
July 31, 9:45 AM EST to 11:30 AM EST
Where
Middlesex County, Northern
Coordinates
40.440, -74.409 (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

More

Every storm in New Jersey in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 5562844.