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North Branch Raritan River near Far Hills

Highest listed crest 7.60 ftFlood stage 6.0 ft14 crests since 1919

The North Branch Raritan River near Far Hills crested above flood stage 7 times among the 14 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1919 to 2021. The highest, 7.60 ft on July 23, 1919, was moderate flooding, 1.60 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
7.60 ft
July 23, 1919
Flood stage
6.0 ft
Major flooding from 8.0 ft
Crests at major
0
7 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
September 2, 2021
6.53 ft, minor flooding
Location
Somerset County
Near Somerville (9.7 mi), Morristown (10.3 mi), Bound Brook (11.0 mi)

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, North Branch Raritan River near Far Hills
Action stage5.03Jan 19, 1996The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)6.05Sep 2, 2021Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage7.02Aug 28, 1971Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage8.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

14 crests from 1919 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the North Branch Raritan River near Far Hills, 1919 to 2021 45678ft Flood stage 6.0 ftMajor 8.0 ft Jul 23, 1919: 7.60 ft, moderate floodingSep 30, 1934: 5.24 ft, action stage; 2,630 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 1971: 7.28 ft, moderate flooding; 6,390 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1979: 5.93 ft, action stage; 3,780 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1981: 4.85 ft, below flood stage; 2,120 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1984: 6.40 ft, minor flooding; 4,610 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1996: 5.08 ft, action stage; 2,510 cubic feet per secondJul 14, 1996: 4.25 ft, below flood stage; 1,520 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 1996: 6.65 ft, minor flooding; 5,090 cubic feet per secondSep 16, 1999: 6.76 ft, minor flooding; 5,300 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 2005: 4.66 ft, below flood stage; 1,990 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2011: 6.84 ft, minor floodingMay 1, 2014: 4.77 ft, below flood stage; 2,114 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2021: 6.53 ft, minor flooding; 4,914 cubic feet per second Highest, 7.60 ft, Jul 23, 1919 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, North Branch Raritan River near Far Hills 1910s: 1 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 2 2 2000s: 0 2010s: 1 2020s: 1 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, North Branch Raritan River near Far Hills
1Jul 23, 19197.60+1.60Moderate—
2Aug 28, 19717.28+1.28Moderate6,390
3Aug 28, 20116.84+0.84Minor—
4Sep 16, 19996.76+0.76Minor5,300
5Oct 19, 19966.65+0.65Minor5,090
6Sep 2, 20216.53+0.53Minor4,914
7Jul 7, 19846.40+0.40Minor4,610
8Jan 24, 19795.93−0.07Action3,780
9Sep 30, 19345.24−0.76Action2,630
10Jan 19, 19965.08−0.92Action2,510
11May 12, 19814.85−1.15Below flood stage2,120
12May 1, 20144.77−1.23Below flood stage2,114
13Apr 2, 20054.66−1.34Below flood stage1,990
14Jul 14, 19964.25−1.75Below flood stage1,520

The worst floods along the North Branch Raritan River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the North Branch Raritan River that crested above flood stage within a week.

August 28, 1971: 7.28 ft here, moderate flooding

August 28, 2011: 6.84 ft here, minor flooding

September 16, 1999: 6.76 ft here, minor flooding

Gauges on the North Branch Raritan River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the North Branch Raritan River
Far Hills this gaugeNJ6.07.60 ft, Jul 23, 19190
North Branch VillageNJ12.321.53 ft, Sep 16, 19990
RaritanNJ10.019.52 ft, Sep 2, 20216
South BranchNJ8.020.26 ft, Sep 2, 202114

Other gauges in Somerset County

Flood gauges in Somerset County
Seeley Mills5.59.05 ft, Sep 2, 20210
Burnt Mills11.016.79 ft, Sep 2, 20214
Bound Brook11.020.66 ft, Sep 2, 20210
Burnt Mills9.512.76 ft, Sep 2, 20211
Blackwells Mills9.021.24 ft, Aug 28, 201111
Griggstown10.024.21 ft, Aug 28, 201114
Millstone10.022.45 ft, Sep 2, 20216
Weston11.523.75 ft, Sep 2, 20217
North Branch Village12.321.53 ft, Sep 16, 19990
South Branch8.020.26 ft, Sep 2, 202114
Raritan10.019.52 ft, Sep 2, 20216
Millington8.010.26 ft, Aug 29, 20112
Bound Brook28.042.13 ft, Sep 17, 199913
Manville14.027.66 ft, Sep 2, 202110
North Plainfield7.010.65 ft, Aug 2, 19730
Watchung14.024.50 ft, Aug 2, 19730
Martinsville6.011.47 ft, Sep 2, 20210

Somerset County: every hazard · River floods across the country · New Jersey

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FARN4, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.