New Jersey, 2001

Drought in New Jersey, October 1 to 31, 2001

October 1 to 31, 2001 · NWS OKX · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

An emerging drought across the region prompted State officials to declare a drought watch in New Jersey, which called for a voluntary reduction of non-essential water use. Rainfall deficits during the latter half of summer and early fall caused lake and reservoir levels to plummet.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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.

An emerging drought across the region prompted State officials to declare a drought watch in New Jersey, which called for a voluntary reduction of non-essential water use. Rainfall deficits during the latter half of summer and early fall caused lake and reservoir levels to plummet. Six to seven inch rainfall deficits during the past year were common across the State. Area streamflows fell below normal and in some cases reached record low levels. Combined storage capacity in the State's water supply reservoir system was 15 percent below normal. Decline in the reservoir levels was comparable to the 1998-99 levels.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS New York, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 30, 8:20 PM EST, 3 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 30, 8:20 PM EST, 3 hours 40 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
920 PM EDT SUN SEP 30 2001

EVENING UPDATE WL BE BASED ALMOST SOLELY UPON THE MESOETA...ENDG
FAIRLY STEADY PCPN FROM W TO E. WL KEEP LKLY POPS GOING FOR FAR
EASTERN ZONES INTO MON AFTN.

MARINE...WL CONT ALL PRESENT SCA AND GALE WARNGS. WL CANCEL THE CSTL
FLD WARNING ALL ZONES AS TIDAL DEPARTURES ONLY REACHED TO ARND 2 1/2
ABV NML. ONLY SAW MINOR FLDG BENCHMARKS REACHED AND SINCE DEPARTURES
NOT EXPTD TO INCR FURTHER OVRNGT...WL DROP THE WARNING.

.OKX...
CT...NONE.
NJ...NONE.
NY...NONE.
MARINE...GALE WARNING WATERS CSTL WATRS..ANZ355-353-350.
         SCA ELSEWHERE...ANZ338-330-335.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Western Passaic

When
October 1, 12:00 AM EST to October 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Western Passaic forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
41.034, -74.300 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Bergen

When
October 1, 12:00 AM EST to October 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Bergen forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY

Drought, Eastern Passaic

When
October 1, 12:00 AM EST to October 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Eastern Passaic forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
41.034, -74.300 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Essex

When
October 1, 12:00 AM EST to October 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Essex forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY

Drought, Hudson

When
October 1, 12:00 AM EST to October 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Hudson forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
40.731, -74.076 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Union

When
October 1, 12:00 AM EST to October 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Union forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY

What these are

Drought
A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New Jersey in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in New Jersey, October 2001

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: 5272569, 5272570, 5272571, 5272572, 5272573, 5272574.