Floods in NJ: Rushing water sweeps man off path, records broken

💧Some New Jersey rivers will not recede until Sunday

💧 Long-standing flood-level records were broken

💧NJ 101.5 Fast Traffic is tracking roads still closed

Several flood levels were broken Friday as Flood Warnings remain in effect along several New Jersey rivers after Wednesday’s heavy rain.

Between 2 and 3 inches of rain fell in northern counties where rivers and streams are already full from two previous rounds of rain.

Swept away by rushing water

Rising water in the Raritan River swept a man off a walking path and into the water Thursday morning according to the Somerville Rescue Squad.

The man became trapped in several bamboo trees and was clinging to a log before the Somerville Rescue Squad arrived. A water rescue team reached the man and got him out using a flotation device.

He was taken to a hospital for treatment of hypothermia.

Flood Warnings still in effect

Flood Warnings remain in effect as the Millstone River in Somerset County, the Rockaway River in Morris County and the Passaic River in Essex, Morris & Passaic counties.

“It’s the same situation as our last super-soaker rain storm. All that water has to go someplace. The water flowing downstream is causing waters to approach and exceed flood stage,” according to New Jersey 101.5 Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow.

The Passaic River in Little Falls is expected to crest just over flood stage at 7.4 Friday night and then start to recede, according to Zarrow. “The Millstone River at Blackwells River crested above its flood state at a record 10 feet Friday morning and had already started to recede. “

It broke the record of 9.3 feet set in March 2011, according to National Weather Service records.

No relief until Sunday

The Rockaway River at Boonton Below Reservoir also broke a long-standing record cresting at 6 feet on Vail Road in Montville Friday morning. The previous flood level was 5.7 feet set in April 1986.

A Flood Warning remains posted until Sunday for the Passaic River above Singac which went above flood stage at 9.1 feet Friday morning. It will remain there until Sunday morning. The water level will likely match a flood level of 9.3 feet set in April 2022.

The Passaic River at Pine Brook, which affects Essex, Passaic and Morris counties, is under a flood warning until further notice. The river rose to 19.7 feet and will not stop rising until it hits 19.9 feet Friday night. The river’s high mark is 19.8 feet set in January 1996.

New Jersey 101.5 Fast Traffic is tracking the remaining road closures all weekend long.

"The good news is that New Jersey's weather has dried out completely, and there are no big storms on the horizon for about a week. That will allow rivers and floodwaters to continue receding," Zarrow said.

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