New Jersey, 1997

Heavy Rain in New Jersey, May 25 to 26, 1997

May 25 to 26, 1997 · NWS PHI · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

A series of low pressure systems traveling west to east along a nearly stationary frontal boundary produced some locally heavy rain across central and southern New Jersey from the daylight on the 25th through the early morning of the 26th. The heaviest rain affected the central part of the state during the afternoon of the 25th, the southwest part of the state during the evening of the 25th and…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 13 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
13

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.

A series of low pressure systems traveling west to east along a nearly stationary frontal boundary produced some locally heavy rain across central and southern New Jersey from the daylight on the 25th through the early morning of the 26th. The heaviest rain affected the central part of the state during the afternoon of the 25th, the southwest part of the state during the evening of the 25th and the southeast part of the state around midnight on the 26th. Storm totals averaged 1 to 2.5 inches, with some locally higher amounts. This caused the usual poor drainage flooding problems. Representative totals included 2.66 inches in Freehold (Monmouth County), 2.60 inches at McGuire AFB (Burlington County), 2.34 inches in Hightstown (Mercer County), 2.04 inches in Pennsauken (Camden County), 1.99 inches in Wertsville (Hunterdon County), 1.92 inches in New Brunswick (Middlesex County), 1.91 inches in Harvey Cedars (Ocean County), 1.43 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport and 1.12 inches in Verga (Gloucester County).

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Rain, Hunterdon

When
May 25, 6:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where
Hunterdon County, Countywide
Coordinates
40.567, -74.912 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Middlesex

When
May 25, 6:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where
Middlesex County, Countywide
Coordinates
40.440, -74.409 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Monmouth

When
May 25, 6:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where
Monmouth County, Countywide
Coordinates
40.288, -74.158 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Somerset

When
May 25, 6:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where
Somerset County, Countywide
Coordinates
40.564, -74.616 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Burlington

When
May 25, 7:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Burlington County, Countywide
Coordinates
39.878, -74.668 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Camden

When
May 25, 7:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Camden County, Countywide
Coordinates
39.804, -74.960 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Gloucester

When
May 25, 7:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Gloucester County, Countywide
Coordinates
39.717, -75.142 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Mercer

When
May 25, 7:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Mercer County, Countywide
Coordinates
40.283, -74.702 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Ocean

When
May 25, 7:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Ocean County, Countywide
Coordinates
39.866, -74.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Salem

When
May 25, 9:00 AM EST to May 26, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Salem County, Countywide
Coordinates
39.577, -75.358 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Atlantic

When
May 25, 1:00 PM EST to May 26, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Atlantic County, Countywide
Coordinates
39.469, -74.634 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Cumberland

When
May 25, 1:00 PM EST to May 26, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Cumberland County, Countywide
Coordinates
39.328, -75.129 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Cape May

When
May 25, 2:00 PM EST to May 26, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Cape May County, Countywide
Coordinates
39.085, -74.850 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Rain
Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New Jersey in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in New Jersey, May 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: 5609090, 5609092, 5609093, 5609096, 5609085, 5609086, 5609089, 5609091, 5609094, 5609095, 5609084, 5609088, 5609087.