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Rahway River at Rahway

Highest listed crest 9.60 ftFlood stage 6.0 ft12 crests since 1968

The Rahway River at Rahway crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 12 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1968 to 2010. The highest, 9.60 ft on September 17, 1999, was major flooding, 3.60 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Rahway River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
9.60 ft
September 17, 1999; 5,590 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
6.0 ft
Major flooding from 9.5 ft
Crests at major
1
68th of 125 gauges in New Jersey
Most recent flood crest
March 14, 2010
8.12 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Union County
Near Rahway (0.8 mi), Linden (2.5 mi), Roselle (2.7 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Rahway River at Rahway
Action stage5.51Dec 21, 1973The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)6.08Oct 19, 1996Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage8.02Mar 14, 2010Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage9.51Sep 17, 1999Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

12 crests from 1968 to 2010. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Rahway River at Rahway, 1968 to 2010 5678910ft Flood stage 6.0 ftMajor 9.5 ft May 29, 1968: 6.67 ft, minor flooding; 3,530 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 1971: 7.08 ft, minor flooding; 4,010 cubic feet per secondAug 2, 1973: 7.88 ft, minor flooding; 5,420 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1973: 5.82 ft, action stage; 2,640 cubic feet per secondJul 15, 1975: 7.62 ft, minor flooding; 5,070 cubic feet per secondNov 8, 1977: 6.46 ft, minor flooding; 3,570 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 1983: 6.43 ft, minor flooding; 2,880 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1992: 6.25 ft, minor flooding; 2,890 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 1996: 7.50 ft, minor flooding; 4,210 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1999: 9.60 ft, major flooding; 5,590 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2007: 8.91 ft, moderate flooding; 4,910 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2010: 8.12 ft, moderate flooding; 3,690 cubic feet per second Highest, 9.60 ft, Sep 17, 1999 19701980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Rahway River at Rahway 1960s: 1 1970s: 4 4 1980s: 1 1990s: 3 2000s: 1 2010s: 1 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Rahway River at Rahway
1Sep 17, 19999.60+3.60Major5,590
2Apr 16, 20078.91+2.91Moderate4,910
3Mar 14, 20108.12+2.12Moderate3,690
4Aug 2, 19737.88+1.88Minor5,420
5Jul 15, 19757.62+1.62Minor5,070
6Oct 19, 19967.50+1.50Minor4,210
7Aug 28, 19717.08+1.08Minor4,010
8May 29, 19686.67+0.67Minor3,530
9Nov 8, 19776.46+0.46Minor3,570
10Dec 14, 19836.43+0.43Minor2,880
11Jun 5, 19926.25+0.25Minor2,890
12Dec 21, 19735.82−0.18Action2,640

The worst floods along the Rahway River

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

September 17, 1999: 9.60 ft here, major flooding

April 16, 2007: 8.91 ft here, moderate flooding

March 14, 2010: 8.12 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Rahway River

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

Flood gauges on the Rahway River
SpringfieldNJ7.010.88 ft, Aug 28, 20113
Rahway this gaugeNJ6.09.60 ft, Sep 17, 19991

Other gauges in Union County

Flood gauges in Union County
Springfield7.010.88 ft, Aug 28, 20113

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge RWYN4, 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.