Flash Flood, Burlington
- When
- August 20, 10:30 PM EST to August 21, 1:30 AM EST
- Where
- Burlington County, New Gretna
- Coordinates
- 39.878, -74.668 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood in New Jersey, August 20 to 21, 1997
Torrential rain fell across southeast New Jersey as a low pressure system developed over the Delmarva Peninsula and slowly moved northeast across southern New Jersey. A series of thunderstorms developed along this low pressure system's frontal boundaries and trained or moved over the same areas.
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
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
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.
Torrential rain fell across southeast New Jersey as a low pressure system developed over the Delmarva Peninsula and slowly moved northeast across southern New Jersey. A series of thunderstorms developed along this low pressure system's frontal boundaries and trained or moved over the same areas. This caused torrential rain to fall for several hours across the extreme southeast tip of Burlington County. Doppler Radar storm total estimated 6 to 8 inches of rain fell across the extreme southeast tip of the county. Storm totals decreased quickly farther northwest. Only 3.48 inches of rain fell in Atsion, 3.43 inches in New Lisbon and 1.51 inches in Mount Holly. The torrential rain helped set a new record stage height for the East Branch of the Bass River at New Gretna. The river crested at 7.28 feet. The previous record was 6.36 feet on July 4, 1978. According to the United States Geological Survey, this represents a recurrence interval of greater than 100 years. Miraculously no major damage or injuries occurred.
The radar
The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 23 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:28 UTC.
Event by event
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
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
- Heavy Rain in Connecticut, August 20 to 21, 1997
- Flash Flood in New Jersey, August 20 to 21, 1997
- Damaging Winds in Utah, August 20, 1997
- Flash Flood in New Jersey, August 20 to 21, 1997
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, August 20, 1997
- Flash Flood in New Jersey, August 20 to 21, 1997
- Flash Flood in New Jersey, August 20 to 21, 1997
- Damaging Winds in Texas, August 20, 1997
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, August 20, 1997
- Tornado in Florida, August 20, 1997
- Damaging Winds in North Carolina, August 20, 1997
- Flood in Michigan, August 20 to 22, 1997
More
Every storm in New Jersey in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in New Jersey, August 1997
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: 5621736.