A potent weather system swept across New Jersey on Sunday morning, delivering torrential downpours that dumped more than five inches of rain across northern sections of the state. The intense deluge rapidly overwhelmed local drainage infrastructure, prompting serious flash flooding that submerged roadways, stranded motorists in their vehicles, and necessitated emergency water rescues in several hard-hit communities.
According to meteorological records compiled following the event, the borough of Oradell in Bergen County recorded the state’s highest individual rainfall total, accumulating an extraordinary 5.61 inches. Neighboring Essex County was similarly battered by high-volume precipitation, with North Caldwell documenting 5.32 inches and West Caldwell Township measuring 5.15 inches, cementing northern New Jersey as the primary focal point of the storm's heaviest bands.
The geographic reach of the downpours extended well beyond a few localized pockets. Comprehensive precipitation summaries released by National Weather Service forecast offices in New Jersey and New York confirmed that at least two inches of rain soaked communities across 11 different counties. The widespread nature of the storm generated major travel disruptions throughout the morning hours as runoff rapidly accumulated in low-lying zones.
Emergency personnel across affected municipalities faced demanding conditions as floodwaters rose quickly during the peak of Sunday morning's rainfall. With streets rapidly converting into hazardous waterways, multiple water rescue operations were launched to assist trapped drivers whose vehicles were disabled by the sudden influx of water. The rapid onset of the downpours left little time for drainage systems to process the sheer volume of stormwater.
Bergen County experienced some of the highest accumulations in the entire region. Beyond Oradell’s peak measurement of 5.61 inches, Harrington Park registered an even 5.00 inches, while Paramus logged 4.94 inches. Other notable tallies across the county included 3.87 inches in Emerson, 3.52 inches in Westwood, 3.45 inches in River Edge, and 3.04 inches in Lodi. Communities such as Cresskill and New Milford saw 2.91 and 2.86 inches respectively, followed by Tenafly at 2.47 inches, Franklin Lakes and Maywood at 2.19 inches each, and Bergenfield at 2.04 inches. Additional totals were recorded in Oakland (1.81 inches), Bogota (1.72 inches), Lyndhurst (1.44 inches), North Arlington (1.41 inches), Teterboro (1.32 inches), Mahwah (1.28 inches), and Leonia (0.97 inches).
Essex County saw equally staggering measurements that placed several of its townships among the wettest in the state. In addition to the five-plus inches reported in North Caldwell and West Caldwell, the township of Caldwell recorded 4.48 inches, while Fairfield Township accumulated 4.10 inches. Moving toward the central and southern portions of Essex County, West Orange Township documented 2.54 inches, Maplewood Township received 1.79 inches, Millburn Township marked 1.68 inches, and the city of Newark recorded 1.22 inches.
In Mercer and Camden counties, heavy bands of rain also generated significant totals. In Mercer County, Hamilton Township led local measurements with 2.85 inches, closely followed by Robbinsville Township at 2.34 inches and Mercerville at 2.23 inches. Lawrenceville recorded 1.16 inches, Allentown registered 1.03 inches, Trenton logged 0.98 inches, and Princeton recorded 0.90 inches. Meanwhile, Camden County saw its highest concentration in the city of Camden, which received 2.96 inches. Other Camden County communities saw moderate accumulations, including Voorhees Township with 1.29 inches, Atco with 0.99 inches, Haddon Township with 0.96 inches, and Cherry Hill Township with 0.83 inches.
Middlesex County experienced widespread rainfall exceeding the two-inch threshold in several localities. Monroe Township logged 2.05 inches and Edison Township reached 2.00 inches. Surrounding towns in the county also accumulated substantial runoff, including Clark Township at 1.60 inches, Deans at 1.35 inches, Milltown at 1.33 inches, Woodbridge Township at 1.31 inches, Metuchen at 1.25 inches, Kendall Park at 1.19 inches, Carteret at 1.17 inches, Sayreville at 1.02 inches, New Brunswick at 1.01 inches, and Spotswood at 0.80 inches.
Burlington County similarly reported substantial accumulations across a wide array of towns and military installations. Both Burlington Township and McGuire Air Force Base recorded identical totals of 2.17 inches, while the city of Burlington documented 2.02 inches. Cinnaminson Township saw 1.83 inches, Mount Laurel Township recorded 1.51 inches, Willingboro Township accumulated 1.40 inches, and Westampton Township logged 1.36 inches. Lesser amounts were measured in Hainesport Township (1.23 inches), Pemberton (1.20 inches), Lumberton Township (1.04 inches), Medford Township (1.02 inches), Moorestown Township (0.99 inches), Palmyra (0.96 inches), Shamong and Tabernacle townships (0.89 inches each), Medford Village (0.84 inches), and Evesham Township (0.77 inches).
Along the coastal and central regions, Monmouth County saw steady rainfall across multiple municipalities. Upper Freehold Township topped the county’s measurements with 1.59 inches, followed by Manalapan Township at 1.32 inches. Allentown and Neptune Township each recorded 1.24 inches, while Spring Lake Heights logged 1.22 inches. Other Monmouth locations included Clarksburg with 1.19 inches, Neptune City with 1.17 inches, Freehold with 1.15 inches, Monmouth Beach and Howell Township with 1.05 inches each, Little Silver and Lake Como with 0.96 inches each, and Millstone Township with 0.76 inches.
Further west and north, Gloucester, Hunterdon, and Hudson counties recorded varied totals reflecting the broader reach of the frontal boundary. In Gloucester County, both West Deptford Township and Greenwich Township recorded 1.75 inches, while Mullica Hill reached 1.29 inches, Turnersville measured 0.92 inches, and Washington Township and Sewell recorded 0.90 inches each. Hunterdon County saw Lambertville lead with 1.34 inches, followed by Ringoes at 1.23 inches, Stockton at 1.16 inches, Lebanon at 1.15 inches, Glen Gardner at 1.05 inches, Asbury at 1.04 inches, Readington Township at 1.00 inch, Flemington at 0.90 inches, Glen Gardener at 0.84 inches, Franklin Township at 0.82 inches, and Union Township at 0.75 inches. In Hudson County, Harrison posted 1.07 inches, Kearny recorded 1.06 inches, and Hoboken measured 0.86 inches.
The extensive precipitation data, gathered continuously by the National Weather Service offices serving New Jersey and New York, underscored the localized intensity of Sunday's storm clusters. The heavy concentration of rain within a relatively short morning window proved particularly problematic for urbanized and suburban corridors where impervious surfaces accelerated stormwater runoff into streets and streams.
In the wake of the severe weather, meteorologists indicate that a welcome shift in the atmospheric pattern is arriving to provide relief to saturated communities. Sunny and dry conditions are forecast to prevail across the Garden State over the next few days, giving local municipal maintenance crews and emergency responders ample time to clear flooded roadways and assess infrastructure.
Daytime high temperatures are projected to remain comfortable in the 70s throughout the middle of the week under fair skies. However, forecasters caution that this extended period of calm, dry weather will eventually give way to unsettled conditions once again, with the potential for renewed rain chances returning as the region heads into the upcoming weekend.
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