New Jersey, 2000

Flash Flooding in New Jersey, December 17, 2000

December 17, 2000 · NWS PHI · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

An unseasonably warm air mass and an intense low pressure system and cold front not only set the stage for an extremely windy day, but also produced heavy rain and flooding of the smaller streams in the Raritan River Basin in Hunterdon, Somerset and Middlesex Counties. A series of showers and thunderstorms with heavy downpours moved across the region through the early afternoon of the 17th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
3

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.

An unseasonably warm air mass and an intense low pressure system and cold front not only set the stage for an extremely windy day, but also produced heavy rain and flooding of the smaller streams in the Raritan River Basin in Hunterdon, Somerset and Middlesex Counties. A series of showers and thunderstorms with heavy downpours moved across the region through the early afternoon of the 17th. The heaviest rain fell in two bands, across northwest Hunterdon County and along the Middlesex/Somerset County border. Doppler Radar storm total estimates reached between 4 and 5 inches in the Hunterdon County band. The heavy rain caused urban and poor drainage flooding and also led to the flooding of some of the smaller streams in the region. In Hunterdon County, the Pohatcong Creek flooded and trapped one motorist in their vehicle. In Somerset County, both Old York Road and Griggstown Causeway were closed. In Middlesex County, U.S. Route 1 was closed for 30 minutes. Storm totals included 4.90 inches in Milford (Hunterdon County), 3.23 inches in Whitehouse Station (Hunterdon County), 2.57 inches in Pottersville (Somerset County), 2.50 inches in Flemington (Hunterdon County) and 2.03 inches in New Brunswick (Middlesex County).

The radar

The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 81 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:28 UTC.

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Event by event

3 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Hunterdon

When
December 17, 8:30 AM EST to 12:00 PM EST
Where
Hunterdon County, Countywide
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
40.567, -74.912 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Middlesex

When
December 17, 10:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where
Middlesex County, Northwest Portion
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
40.440, -74.409 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Somerset

When
December 17, 10:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where
Somerset County, East Portion
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
40.564, -74.616 (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 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in New Jersey, December 2000

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: 5168477, 5168478, 5168479.