The following events were reported: Flood. These occurred near station USW00014734, approximately 34.3764 km away, between 2007-04-15 09:30:00 and 2007-04-23 17:15:00. The flood was caused by Heavy Rain. The events resulted in 0 injuries and 1 fatalities. The events caused property damage valued at 75000000.0 and crop damage of 0.0. Episode Narrative: An intense nor'easter brought heavy rain and flooding to New Jersey that started on the 15th. The worst flooding occurred along the Raritan and Passaic River Basins. It was the worst flooding in the Raritan Basin since Hurricane Floyd in 1999. Bound Brook and Manville were once again hit hard as were communities on the other side of the Raritan River in Middlesex County. Along the Passaic Basin, Lincoln Park also was hit hard. The nor'easter also brought strong to high winds as well as some snow to the state on the 16th. Numerous streams and rivers flooded, but the flooding along the Delaware River was minimal. |Statewide damage was estimated at $180 million dollars. It was the second worst rain storm (not related to a hurricane) in the state's history. Acting Governor Richard J. Codey declared a state of emergency on the 16th. About 5,000 people were evacuated in 11 of the state's 21 counties. At one time over 70 major roadways and interstates were closed including New Jersey State Routes 20, 23, 38, 46, 70 and 73 as well as U.S. Route 30 and Interstates 80 and 380. There were over 700 traffic accidents indirectly caused by the flooding and heavy rain. Three people in the state drowned. The strong winds caused about 120,000 homes and businesses in the state to lose power. Power was not completely restored until the 18th. The combination of the snow, wind (power outages) and flooding caused many school districts to either cancel classes or have delayed openings on the 16th. Even Rutgers University was closed on the 16th and 17th. In the Raritan Basin, school closings lasted into the week of April 23rd. The nor'easter was so nasty that even the Internal Revenue Service extended the tax deadline for 48 hours in affected areas. The heavy and flooding rains was expected to delay the spring planting on farms. Garden center and nursery business which was already slow because of the unseasonably cold weather was dealt another set-back. Twelve counties in the state were declared federal disaster areas and included Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris and Somerset Counties. |Rain began falling throughout the area during the late evening on the 14th. It started briefly as snow over some of the higher terrain of Susse County. The rain fell at its heaviest from about 3 a.m. EDT on the 15th to about 3 a.m. EDT on the 16th. As the upper air disturbance moved across New Jersey, the rain did change to snow for a couple of hours around sunrise on the 16th and accumulated about an inch or two on grassy areas in western New Jersey. The steady precipitation ended during the afternoon and early evening on the 16th. Event precipitation totals averaged 3 to 6 inches. Event snowfall totals were an inch or two in most areas, mainly on grassy areas. |The strongest winds occurred as the nor'easter pulled northeast of the region on the 16th from the early morning into the afternoon. The combination of the heavy rain, even some snow and the winds helped knock down numerous trees and power lines. Peak wind gusts averaged between 40 and 60 mph.|The nor'easter low pressure system initially formed in the southern Rockies on the 12th and moved to Arkansas on the morning of the 14th. At 8 p.m. EDT on the 14th, there were two low pressure systems, one in Kentucky and the other in western Alabama. The southern low pressure system became the predominate one overnight and at 8 a.m. EDT on the 15th, it (996 millibar low) was located in western North Carolina. As the 15th continued, it moved northeast and intensified rapidly. At 2 p.m. EDT the nor'easter (989 millibars) was near Raleigh, North Carolina. EDT, the nor'easter was a 979 millibar low pressure system near Virginia Beach, Virginia. Another low pressure system formed on its warm front during the afternoon over Chesapeake Bay and at 8 p.m. EDT it (982 millibars) was over extreme southwest New Jersey. The lows consolidated into one again overnight and a very intense 973 millibar low pressure system was located over Monmouth County, New Jersey at 2 a.m. At 8 a.m. EDT on the 16th the nor'easter was down to 968 millibars and located over New York City. That was a drop in central pressure of 28 millibars in 24 hours which qualified it as a meteorological bomb (a drop in central pressure of at least 24 millibars in 24 hours) low pressure system. The nor'easter bottomed at a pressure of about 966 millibars (28.53 inches) at 11 a.m. EDT just south of Long Island, New York. To put into prospective how low the pressure was with this nor'easter, that central pressure is near the border of the pressure defined category 2 and category 3 hurricane once used on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. As the 16th continued, the nor'easter weakened and meandered across southwest New England and the New York and New Jersey coastal waters. By 2 a.m. EDT on the 17th, the nor'easter's central pressure rose to 988 millibars and a second storm formed on the triple point of its fronts south of Nova Scotia. This became the main low pressure system. The low pressure system then slowly moved southeast over the next couple of days. The heaviest precipitation fell as the low pressure system was rapidly intensifying on the 15th into the early part of the 16th. The strongest winds ceased after the low pressure system started to fill on the afternoon of the 16th. An intense nor'easter brought heavy rain and flooding to New Jersey that started on the 15th. Event Narrative: In Middlesex County, nearly every municipality suffered flood damage or had roads closed due to flooding. Many major roads were flooded including U.S. Routes 1 and 9 and New Jersey State Routes 18 and 27. Nearly 1,000 people were evacuated and 129 homes suffered severe damage. A 52-year-old man drowned in Woodbridge after he drove his vehicle into a flooded underpass (Leesville Avenue). The three other family members in the car were able to be saved. Many sewage treatment plants were overwhelmed and raw sewage backed into police stations and basements of homes. |In Carteret Borough, 25 roads were closed. In Woodbridge Township, about 300 people were evacuated. The Queens Gardens Apartment Complex and the Ideal Mobile Home were evacuated. Flooding occurred along both the Woodbridge Creek and the Rahway River. The worst flooding occurred in the Avenel section of the township. In Edison Township, twelve units of the Evergreen Apartments were evacuated. A train track bed washed away, even a food pantry was flooded. In South Plainfield Borough, five homes were evacuated. There were about a half dozen vehicular water rescues. A retaining wall collapsed behind a Sears store on Oaktree Road. |In Middlesex Borough, homes on Cap Lane, 7th Street, Rock Lane, Weiss Drive and residents of the Park Brook Gardens Apartment were evacuated. About 300 homes were damaged by the flooding. In Dunellen Borough, people were evacuated from homes on Mountaiview Terrace, Orange and Front Streets. About 30 homes were damaged. In Piscataway Township, about 300 people were evacuated and 8 roadways were closed. The Bridge for the New Market Pond collapsed. The flooding's epicenter was around River Road. The Mayflower, Birchview and Rivercrest Apartments were evacuated. |In New Brunswick, major traffic headaches occurred because of the Raritan River flooding of New Jersey State Route 18. The Interchange 9 exit was closed on the New Jersey Turnpike. Rutgers University cancelled classes on both the 16th and 17th. In Sayreville Borough, residents along Weber Avenue and near the Old Bridge section near the South River were evacuated. In South River Borough, evacuations occurred around the Causeway Bridge and Water Street. About 75 homes were flooded. In Milltown Borough, a flooded substation caused 7,000 people to lose power. The borough's post office suffered extensive flood damage. The Lawrence Brook flooded.|In East Brunswick, evacuations occurred on their side of Old Bridge near the South River. In South Brunswick, limited evacuations occurred at the Oakdale Mobile Home near U.S. Route 1. Flood waters tore away chunks of U.S. About 50 dogs were rescued from a flooded kennel. Eighteen roads were closed and thirty-six homes were flooded. In Monroe Township, nine families were evacuated from the Mill Lake Manor section. Fifteen roadways were closed. In Cranbury Township, Brainard Lake overflowed. In Plainsboro Township, so many roads were flooded that the township was practically an island until the 17th.|The Raritan River at Bound Brook (Somerset County) was above its 28 foot flood stage from 644 p.m. EDT on the 15th through 350 p.m. on the 17th. It crested at 38.38 feet at 1245 p.m. It was the 2nd highest crest on record, second only to the crest from Hurricane Floyd on September 17th, 1999. The Bound Brook at Middlesex was above its 9 foot flood stage from 655 p.m. EDT on the 15th through 717 p.m. It crested at 12.1 feet at 315 a.m. EDT on the 16th.|Precipitation totals included 7.01 inches in Deans and 5.63 inches in Metuchen.| The heavy rain and flooding caused several major roads to be closed in Sussex County. These included New Jersey State Route 23 in Wantage and Hardyston, New Jersey State Route 94 in Hardyston and Vernon, U.S. Route 206 in Newton and County Route 517 in Hamburg and Hardyston. The Walkill River flooded in Wantage and the Cold Brook flooded in Sussex. Snow did fall over the higher terrain of the county at both the start and end of this event, but accumulations were generally less than one inch.|The Flat Brook at Flatbrookville was above its 6 foot flood stage from 1050 p.m. EDT on the 15th through 245 a.m. EDT on the 17th. It crested at 9.27 feet at 1000 a.m. EDT on the 16th.|Precipitation totals included 6.43 inches in Wantage, 5.48 inches in Newton, 5.08 at Andover Airport, 4.93 at Sussex Airport, and 4.60 inches in Libertyville.| In Somerset County, the flooding was the worst since the remnants of Hurricane Floyd in September of 1999. About 1,600 people were evacuated with Bound Brook, Manville and Somerville among the hardest hit municipalities.|In Bound Brook Borough, about 1,100 homes were evacuated. The downtown Main Street area was hit the hardest, but homes and businesses were also flooded on Talmage Street, Mountain Avenue, Fisher Road, Fairview, Drake and Linden Avenues and Second Street south to the Raritan River. Schools and churches were used as shelters. About 600 people were still in shelters as of April 27th. National Guard troops were mobilized as 300 people were rescued from flood waters. Flood waters reached up to 7 feet on Main Street and flooded many businesses. The historic Brooks Art Center Theater was damaged again. In a similar scene to Floyd in 1999, three homes were destroyed on East Street as firefighters could not make their way through flood waters to extinguish the blaze. The stench of raw sewage, mud and heating oil permeated throughout the flooded areas. Schools reopened on the 25th. That was the same day that the Queens Bridge between Bound Brook and South Bound Brook reopened. |In Manville Borough, homes in the Lost Valley area were flooded up to their first floor. About 300 people were evacuated and 700 homes were damaged by flood waters. In Somerville Borough, about 200 people were evacuated from the areas of South Bridge, East Cliff and Culver Streets. New Jersey State Route 28 was closed, as was U.S. Route 206 in both Somerville and Raritan. In South Bound Brook Borough, the Raritan River and the Delaware and Raritan Canal merged into one. People were evacuated from Canal Street, Finchley Gardens and the Town Oaks Apartments. In Hillsborough Township, six roads were closed and evacuations occurred from homes along the Millstone River. In Branchburg Township, roads near the North and South Branches of the Raritan River were closed through the 16th.|The North Branch of the Raritan River at Raritan was above its 10 foot flood stage from 526 p.m. EDT on the 15th through 1231 p.m. It crested at 13.20 feet at 230 a.m. Farther downstream, the North Branch of the Raritan River at North Branch was above its 12.3 foot flood stage from 345 p.m. EDT on the 15th through 934 a.m. It crested at 15.43 feet at 100 a.m. on the 16th. Farther downstream, the North Branch of the Raritan River at South Branch was above its 7 foot flood stage from 1116 a.m. EDT on the 15th through 502 a.m. It crested at 14.31 feet at 415 a.m. It was the 2nd highest crest on record, second only to the crest from Hurricane Floyd on September 16, 1999. The main stem of the Raritan River at Manville was above its 14 foot flood stage from 744 p.m. EDT on the 15th through 947 a.m. It crested at 22.1 feet at 1200 p.m. It was the 3rd highest crest on record and the highest since the Hurricane Floyd crest on September 16, 1999. Farther downstream, the Raritan River at Bound Brook was above its 28 foot flood stage from 644 p.m. The Millstone River at Griggstown was above its 10 foot flood stage from 1146 a.m. EDT on the 15th through 720 p.m. EDT on the 18th. It crested at 22.16 feet at 1215 p.m. Farther downstream, the Millstone River at Blackwells Mills was above its 9 foot flood stage from 600 p.m. EDT on the 15th through 724 a.m. It crested at 19.24 feet at 1245 EDT on the 16th. Farther downstream, the Millstone River at Weston was above its 12.4 foot flood stage from 827 p.m. EDT on the 15th through 131 p.m. It crested at 20.14 feet at 100 p.m. The Pike Run River at Belle Mead was above its 7 foot flood stage from 1204 p.m. EDT on the 15th through 1015 p.m. It crested at 8.95 feet at 630 p.m. EDT on the 15th. The Lamington River at Burnt Mills was above its 9.5 foot flood stage from 1150 a.m. EDT on the 15th through 715 a.m. It crested at 12.1 at 1100 p.m. The Green Brook at Plainfield was above its 8 foot flood stage from 354 p.m. EDT on the 15th through 747 p.m. It crested at 9.52 feet at 630 p.m. The Passaic River at Millington was above its 8 foot flood stage from 848 p.m. EDT on the 15th through 235 a.m. EDT on the 19th. It crested at 9.35 feet at 215 a.m. EDT on the 17th.|Precipitation totals included 6.73 inches in Somerset, 6.27 inches in Hillsboro, and 4.92 at Somerville Airport. The heavy rain and stream and river flooding forced about 1000 people to be evacuated throughout Morris County. About half of those evacuated still could not return to their home as of April 26th. Evacuations occurred in Lincoln Park, Pequannock, Parsippany, Denville, Hanover and East Hanover. In addition, about 100 businesses along New Jersey State Route 23 suffered flood damage.|In Lincoln Park, flooding along the Pompton River severely affected the borough. About 1000 homes were damaged with water up to five feet in some homes. Twenty-four roads were closed. There was no access to New Jersey State Routes 23 and Interstate 80. Two Bridges Road was expected to be closed into May. In Pequannock Township, about 100 residents were evacuated near the Pompton River. About 400 homes were damaged. New Jersey State Route 23 was closed. In Parsippany Township, the Partridge Run Apartments on New Road near the Rockaway River was evacuated. The Lake Hiawatha neighborhood was also evacuated. About 450 homes and apartments were flooded, with 120 needing repairs. In Hanover Township, a few roads were closed including New Jersey State Route 10. A landslide occurred behind an office complex. The buildings were not damaged. The Whippany River flooded. Whippany River flooding also forced flood waters into the backyards and basements in Morristown. In Netcong, several residents and businesses were evacuated around the Railroad Avenue Way. In Denville Township, flooding along the Den Brook and Rockaway River closed many roads. In Montville Township, roads and properties were flooded in the Pine Brook area along the Passaic River. In Randolph Township, Shongum Lake overflowed.|The Rockaway River at Boonton Above the Reservoir was above its 5 foot flood stage from 745 p.m. EDT on the 15th through 837 a.m. It crested at 6.69 feet at 1115 a.m. This was the 3rd highest crest on record and the highest since January 25th, 1979. The Rockaway River at Boonton Below the Reservoir was above its 5 foot flood stage from 809 p.m. EDT on the 15th through 401 p.m. It crested at 8.09 feet at 1230 p.m. This was the 4th highest crest on record and the highest since April 6th, 1984. The Passaic River at Chatham was above its 6 foot flood stage from 219 p.m. EDT on the 15th through 445 a.m. EDT on the 21st. It crested at 7.45 feet at 2 a.m. Farther downstream, the Passaic River at Pine Brook was above its 19 foot flood stage from 958 p.m. EDT on the 15th through 125 p.m. EDT on he 23rd. It crested at 22.32 feet at 131 a.m. It was the 3rd highest crest on record and the highest since April 7, 1984. Farther downstream, the Passaic River at Two Bridges was above its 9 foot flood stage from 1012 p.m. EDT on the 15th through 615 p.m. EDT on the 23rd. It crested at 15.01 feet at 1200 a.m. on the 18th. It is now the highest crest on record. The Pequannock River at Macopin Dam was above its 5.5 foot flood stage from 625 p.m. EDT on the 15th through 815 a.m. It crested at 6.38 feet at 1200 p.m. The Pompton River at Pompton Plains was above its 16 foot flood stage from 843 p.m. EDT on the 15th through 112 p.m. It crested at 21.72 feet at 600 p.m. It was the highest crest since April 6, 1984. Farther downstream, the Pompton River at Midwood was above its 8.5 foot flood stage at 500 p.m. It crested at 15.5 feet at 100 p.m. The gage became stuck and did not record when the river went below flood stage. The Whippany River at Morristown was above its 6 foot flood stage from 312 p.m. EDT on the 15th through 1033 a.m. It crested at 6.79 feet at 1130 p.m. The East Ditch at Beaver Brook was above its 3.9 foot flood stage from 340 p.m. EDT on the 15th through 229 a.m. It crested at 5.3 feet at 2 a.m. EDT on the 16th.|Precipitation totals included 5.84 inches in Parsippany, 5.22 inches in Charlotteburg, 4.82 inches in Randolph, 4.60 inches in Oak Ridge, 4.49 inches in Boonton, and 4.14 inches in Netcong.|