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Passaic River near Millington

Highest listed crest 10.26 ftFlood stage 8.0 ft30 crests since 1924

The Passaic River near Millington crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 30 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1924 to 2024. The highest, 10.26 ft on August 29, 2011, was major flooding, 2.26 feet above flood stage. 5 other gauges on the Passaic River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 3 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
10.26 ft
August 29, 2011; 2,180 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
8.0 ft
Major flooding from 9.8 ft
Crests at major
2
49th of 125 gauges in New Jersey
Most recent flood crest
January 10, 2024
8.30 ft, minor flooding
Location
Somerset County
Near North Plainfield (6.2 mi), New Providence (6.5 mi), Plainfield (7.4 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Passaic River near Millington
Action stage7.05Mar 11, 2011The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.019Jan 10, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage9.04Mar 15, 2010Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage9.82Aug 29, 2011Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

30 crests from 1924 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Passaic River near Millington, 1924 to 2024 7891011ft Flood stage 8.0 ftMajor 9.8 ft Apr 7, 1924: 8.00 ft, minor flooding; 1,100 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1936: 9.18 ft, moderate flooding; 1,800 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 1938: 8.11 ft, minor flooding; 1,040 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 1942: 8.57 ft, minor flooding; 1,360 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1948: 8.71 ft, minor flooding; 1,520 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1968: 8.04 ft, minor flooding; 1,070 cubic feet per secondAug 29, 1971: 9.73 ft, moderate flooding; 2,170 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 1971: 8.39 ft, minor flooding; 1,200 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1972: 8.02 ft, minor flooding; 1,070 cubic feet per secondNov 9, 1972: 8.14 ft, minor flooding; 1,090 cubic feet per secondSep 27, 1975: 8.81 ft, minor flooding; 1,580 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1979: 8.73 ft, minor flooding; 1,530 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1979: 8.19 ft, minor flooding; 1,080 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 1983: 8.23 ft, minor flooding; 1,140 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1984: 8.87 ft, minor flooding; 1,620 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1986: 8.04 ft, minor flooding; 1,080 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1996: 7.72 ft, action stageOct 20, 1996: 9.89 ft, major flooding; 2,290 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1998: 7.57 ft, action stage; 836 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1999: 7.35 ft, action stageSep 17, 1999: 8.91 ft, minor flooding; 1,590 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2007: 9.35 ft, moderate flooding; 1,870 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2010: 9.38 ft, moderate floodingMar 31, 2010: 7.95 ft, action stageMar 11, 2011: 7.91 ft, action stage; 974 cubic feet per secondAug 29, 2011: 10.26 ft, major flooding; 2,180 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 2011: 8.04 ft, minor flooding; 1,040 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2021: 8.86 ft, minor flooding; 1,336 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 2023: 8.23 ft, minor flooding; 1,030 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 8.30 ft, minor flooding; 1,061 cubic feet per second Highest, 10.26 ft, Aug 29, 2011 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Passaic River near Millington 1920s: 1 1930s: 2 1940s: 2 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1970s: 7 7 1980s: 3 1990s: 2 2000s: 1 2010s: 3 2020s: 3 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Passaic River near Millington
1Aug 29, 201110.26+2.26Major2,180
2Oct 20, 19969.89+1.89Major2,290
3Aug 29, 19719.73+1.73Moderate2,170
4Mar 15, 20109.38+1.38Moderate—
5Apr 17, 20079.35+1.35Moderate1,870
6Mar 12, 19369.18+1.18Moderate1,800
7Sep 17, 19998.91+0.91Minor1,590
8Apr 5, 19848.87+0.87Minor1,620
9Sep 2, 20218.86+0.86Minor1,336
10Sep 27, 19758.81+0.81Minor1,580
11Jan 25, 19798.73+0.73Minor1,530
12Dec 31, 19488.71+0.71Minor1,520
13Aug 14, 19428.57+0.57Minor1,360
14Sep 14, 19718.39+0.39Minor1,200
15Jan 10, 20248.30+0.30Minor1,061
16Dec 14, 19838.23+0.23Minor1,140
17Dec 20, 20238.23+0.23Minor1,030
18Feb 26, 19798.19+0.19Minor1,080
19Nov 9, 19728.14+0.14Minor1,090
20Sep 22, 19388.11+0.11Minor1,040
21May 29, 19688.04+0.04Minor1,070
22Apr 18, 19868.04+0.04Minor1,080
23Sep 9, 20118.04+0.04Minor1,040
24Jun 23, 19728.02+0.02Minor1,070
25Apr 7, 19248.000.00Minor1,100
26Mar 31, 20107.95−0.05Action—
27Mar 11, 20117.91−0.09Action974
28Jan 28, 19967.72−0.28Action—
29May 12, 19987.57−0.43Action836
30Mar 22, 19997.35−0.65Action—

The worst floods along the Passaic River

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

August 29, 2011: 10.26 ft here, major flooding

October 20, 1996: 9.89 ft here, major flooding

  • Pine BrookNJ · Oct 21, 1996 · 21.13 ft · Major
  • Little FallsNJ · Oct 22, 1996 · 8.16 ft · Moderate
  • ChathamNJ · Oct 21, 1996 · 7.49 ft · Minor

August 29, 1971: 9.73 ft here, moderate flooding

  • ChathamNJ · Aug 28, 1971 · 8.16 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Passaic River

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

Flood gauges on the Passaic River
Millington this gaugeNJ8.010.26 ft, Aug 29, 20112
ChathamNJ6.09.36 ft, Aug 2, 19730
Pine BrookNJ19.024.12 ft, Aug 30, 201113
SingacNJ8.512.44 ft, Dec 20, 20231
Beatties DamNJ11.314.10 ft, Aug 30, 20110
Little FallsNJ7.014.19 ft, Aug 30, 201122
Clifton (Dundee Dam)NJ4.58.40 ft, Oct 10, 19031

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
Far Hills6.07.60 ft, Jul 23, 19190
Raritan10.019.52 ft, Sep 2, 20216
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 MILN4, 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.