Passaic River at Little Falls
Flood levels
Official flood levels at this gauge: action stage begins at 6.5 ft; minor flooding begins at 7.0 ft; moderate flooding begins at 8.0 ft; major flooding begins at 9.0 ft.
| Action stage | 6.5 ft |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 7.0 ft |
| Moderate flooding | 8.0 ft |
| Major flooding | 9.0 ft |
Highest recorded crests
- 17.5 ft on Oct 10, 1903 (historic crest)
- 14.2 ft on Aug 30, 2011 (historic crest)
- 12.9 ft on Apr 7, 1984 (historic crest)
- 11.9 ft on Apr 18, 2007 (historic crest)
What the water does
National Weather Service impact statements for this gauge, in the Weather Service's own words.
| 5.5 ft | The lower end of East-Holsman Street in Paterson, closest to the river, begins to flood. |
|---|---|
| 6.0 ft | Portions of Hoffman Grove in Wayne sustain some nuisance flooding. |
| 6.5 ft | Low lying areas in the vicinity of Two Bridges in Wayne are flooded. The lower end of Bergen Street in Paterson, closest to the river, begins to flood. |
| 7.0 ft | Minor flooding begins in Lincoln Park, Wayne and Little Falls. |
| 8.0 ft | Flooding occurs in the "Old" Wayne area of Wayne. The recycling center and Wagaraw Road ball field complex in Hawthorne begins to experience flooding. |
| 8.5 ft | Widespread flooding occurs in Fairfield. |
| 9.0 ft | Widespread flooding occurs throughout Lincoln Park and Wayne with many evacuations. In Paterson, portions of River Street, Presidential Boulevard, Bridge Street, Tyler Street, Totowa Avenue and Mclean Boulevard are flooded. |
| 9.5 ft | Route 46 in Wayne is subject to closures. Riverside Drive in Wayne floods. Flooding in Little Falls worsens as homes on William Street and Zeliff Avenue take on water. Arch Street and Temple Street bridges in Paterson are subject to closures. Also in Paterson, portions of Watson Street, Hillman Street, Bergen Street, east Holsman Street, North 1st Street, Fifth Avenue, Sixth Avenue, and Goodwin Street are also subject to closures due to flooding. |
| 10.0 ft | Wagaraw Road in Hawthorne is closed. Homes and businesses in Hawthorne, directly along the river, begin to flood. Water begins to flow over the Temple Street bridge in Paterson. |
| 10.5 ft | Businesses along Route 46 in Wayne begin to flood. Route 23 floods. The Willowbrook Mall experiences flooding. Haledon Avenue bridge in Paterson is subject to closures. Also in Paterson, portions of Straight Street, Union Avenue, West Broadway, Ryle Avenue, East Main Street, North Main Street, and Haledon Avenue are also subject to closures due to flooding. |
| 11.0 ft | The West Broadway Bridge in Paterson is subject to closures. |
| 11.5 ft | Tyler Street, Shady Street, Arch Street, Lowe Street, Wood Street, and Bleeker Street in Paterson are closed due to flooding. |
| 12.0 ft | Wagaraw Road in Hawthorne, between Lafayette Avenue and Lincoln Avenue, is closed. Passaic Avenue, Schoon Avenue and Vincent Street are also closed. Homes and businesses flood. |
Forecast office: NWS Mount Holly · River Forecast Center: Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center.
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Nearby stations and gauges
- Passaic River above Beatties Dam NWS gauge · 0.4 mi
- Passaic River at Singac NWS gauge · 2.2 mi
- Peckman River at Verona NWS gauge · 2.8 mi
- at Midwood NWS gauge · 3.5 mi
- at Ryerson NWS gauge · 4.3 mi
- Beaver Dam Brook at Lincoln Park NWS gauge · 4.9 mi