Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in New Jersey, January 18, 1999

Name: Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in New Jersey, January 18, 1999
Start: 1999-01-18T15:30
End: 1999-01-18T19:45
Location: New Jersey

January 18, 1999 · NWS OKX · 4 events in 2 counties and zones

Lightning struck a house on Alpine Drive in Teaneck that ignited a fire. Thunderstorms produced a brief period of high winds and torrential rain.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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: 4

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.

Thunderstorms and heavy showers occurred ahead of an approaching cold front.Lightning struck a house on Alpine Drive in Teaneck that ignited a fire. Significant and substantial damage occurred.Thunderstorms produced a brief period of high winds and torrential rain. High winds downed tree limbs and power lines in Union and Bergen Counties. Torrential rain caused mainly minor flooding. However, at Lodi and Ho-Ho-Kus, streams overflowed their banks. The Saddle River at Lodi was above flood stage until around 3:00 am on January 19th. It crested around six-tenths of a foot above flood stage at 11:40 pm on January 18th.

The radar

The Brookhaven radar (KOKX), 102 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:37 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Bergen

When: January 18, 3:30 PM EST
Where: Bergen County, Teaneck
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.960, -74.074 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Bergen

When: January 18, 5:40 PM EST
Where: Bergen County, Woodridge
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.850, -74.070

Thunderstorm Wind, Union

When: January 18, 5:40 PM EST
Where: Union County, North Plainfield
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.620, -74.470

Flash Flood, Bergen

When: January 18, 7:45 PM EST
Where: Bergen County, Lodi
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 40.960, -74.074 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
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 1999 Every state in 1999 This day in weather history Warnings in New Jersey, January 1999

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5696277, 5696202, 5696276, 5696278.