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Rahway River at Springfield

Highest listed crest 10.88 ftFlood stage 7.0 ft20 crests since 1938

The Rahway River at Springfield crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 20 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1938 to 2021. The highest, 10.88 ft on August 28, 2011, was major flooding, 3.88 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
10.88 ft
August 28, 2011; 8,620 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
7.0 ft
Major flooding from 10.5 ft
Crests at major
3
39th of 125 gauges in New Jersey
Most recent flood crest
September 2, 2021
10.81 ft, major flooding
Location
Union County
Near Roselle Park (2.8 mi), Westfield (2.9 mi), Summit (3.4 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 Springfield
Action stage6.55Mar 11, 2011The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)7.04Mar 13, 2010Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage8.56Apr 15, 2007Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage10.53Sep 2, 2021Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

20 crests from 1938 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Rahway River at Springfield, 1938 to 2021 4681012ft Flood stage 7.0 ftMajor 10.5 ft Jul 23, 1938: 7.41 ft, minor flooding; 2,050 cubic feet per secondSep 19, 1945: 6.20 ft, below flood stage; 1,370 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1962: 6.58 ft, action stage; 1,530 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1968: 8.50 ft, moderate flooding; 3,370 cubic feet per secondAug 2, 1973: 9.76 ft, moderate flooding; 5,430 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1973: 7.20 ft, minor flooding; 1,870 cubic feet per secondJul 14, 1975: 8.31 ft, minor flooding; 3,110 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1979: 6.72 ft, action stage; 1,540 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 1982: 6.92 ft, action stage; 1,650 cubic feet per secondNov 17, 1985: 5.88 ft, below flood stage; 1,210 cubic feet per secondJun 5, 1992: 8.63 ft, moderate flooding; 3,460 cubic feet per secondOct 19, 1996: 9.38 ft, moderate flooding; 4,750 cubic feet per secondJul 25, 1997: 9.56 ft, moderate flooding; 5,150 cubic feet per secondSep 16, 1999: 10.67 ft, major flooding; 7,990 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2007: 9.35 ft, moderate flooding; 4,690 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 2010: 8.08 ft, minor flooding; 2,600 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2011: 6.95 ft, action stage; 1,650 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2011: 6.61 ft, action stage; 1,490 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2011: 10.88 ft, major flooding; 8,620 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2021: 10.81 ft, major flooding; 8,320 cubic feet per second Highest, 10.88 ft, Aug 28, 2011 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Rahway River at Springfield 1930s: 1 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1970s: 3 1980s: 0 1990s: 4 4 2000s: 1 2010s: 2 2020s: 1 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 Springfield
1Aug 28, 201110.88+3.88Major8,620
2Sep 2, 202110.81+3.81Major8,320
3Sep 16, 199910.67+3.67Major7,990
4Aug 2, 19739.76+2.76Moderate5,430
5Jul 25, 19979.56+2.56Moderate5,150
6Oct 19, 19969.38+2.38Moderate4,750
7Apr 15, 20079.35+2.35Moderate4,690
8Jun 5, 19928.63+1.63Moderate3,460
9May 29, 19688.50+1.50Moderate3,370
10Jul 14, 19758.31+1.31Minor3,110
11Mar 13, 20108.08+1.08Minor2,600
12Jul 23, 19387.41+0.41Minor2,050
13Dec 21, 19737.20+0.20Minor1,870
14Mar 7, 20116.95−0.05Action1,650
15Jan 4, 19826.92−0.08Action1,650
16Jan 24, 19796.72−0.28Action1,540
17Mar 11, 20116.61−0.39Action1,490
18Mar 12, 19626.58−0.42Action1,530
19Sep 19, 19456.20−0.80Below flood stage1,370
20Nov 17, 19855.88−1.12Below flood stage1,210

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 16, 1999: 10.67 ft here, major flooding

  • RahwayNJ · Sep 17, 1999 · 9.60 ft · Major · its highest

August 2, 1973: 9.76 ft here, moderate flooding

  • RahwayNJ · Aug 2, 1973 · 7.88 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Rahway River

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

Flood gauges on the Rahway River
Springfield this gaugeNJ7.010.88 ft, Aug 28, 20113
RahwayNJ6.09.60 ft, Sep 17, 19991

Other gauges in Union County

Flood gauges in Union County
Rahway6.09.60 ft, Sep 17, 19991

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SPGN4, 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.