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Raritan River at Bound Brook

Highest listed crest 42.13 ftFlood stage 28.0 ft43 crests since 1970

The Raritan River at Bound Brook crested at major flood stage 13 times among the 43 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1970 to 2024. The highest, 42.13 ft on September 17, 1999, was major flooding, 14.13 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Raritan River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
42.13 ft
September 17, 1999; 82,900 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
28.0 ft
Major flooding from 33.0 ft
Crests at major
13
7th of 125 gauges in New Jersey
Most recent flood crest
January 10, 2024
33.70 ft, major flooding
Location
Somerset County
Near Bound Brook (1.3 mi), Manville (2.3 mi), Middlesex (3.1 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Raritan River at Bound Brook
Action stage26.02May 12, 1998The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)28.013Dec 28, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage30.015Aug 24, 2021Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage33.013Jan 10, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

43 crests from 1970 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Raritan River at Bound Brook, 1970 to 2024 2530354045ft Flood stage 28.0 ftMajor 33.0 ft Apr 3, 1970: 31.02 ft, moderate flooding; 29,600 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 1971: 37.47 ft, major flooding; 46,100 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1972: 30.11 ft, moderate flooding; 26,900 cubic feet per secondFeb 1, 1973: 30.47 ft, moderate flooding; 28,000 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1973: 31.73 ft, moderate flooding; 31,000 cubic feet per secondJul 14, 1975: 30.27 ft, moderate flooding; 23,600 cubic feet per secondJul 21, 1975: 29.24 ft, minor flooding; 20,718 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1978: 31.33 ft, moderate flooding; 30,000 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1979: 33.18 ft, major flooding; 34,600 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1983: 31.84 ft, moderate flooding; 28,100 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1984: 30.94 ft, moderate flooding; 25,500 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1984: 32.00 ft, moderate flooding; 28,600 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1987: 29.36 ft, minor flooding; 21,100 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 1989: 30.22 ft, moderate flooding; 23,500 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 1994: 30.00 ft, moderate flooding; 22,900 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 1994: 29.47 ft, minor flooding; 21,400 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1996: 33.34 ft, major flooding; 32,700 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1996: 28.39 ft, minor flooding; 18,900 cubic feet per secondOct 20, 1996: 35.58 ft, major flooding; 40,100 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1996: 28.89 ft, minor floodingJan 24, 1998: 26.39 ft, action stage; 14,100 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1998: 26.02 ft, action stage; 13,300 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1999: 28.36 ft, minor flooding; 18,100 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1999: 42.13 ft, major flooding; 82,900 cubic feet per secondDec 12, 2003: 30.02 ft, moderate floodingApr 3, 2005: 30.54 ft, moderate flooding; 24,700 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2007: 38.38 ft, major flooding; 56,900 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2010: 36.04 ft, major floodingMar 31, 2010: 29.11 ft, minor floodingMar 7, 2011: 28.40 ft, minor flooding; 18,900 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2011: 28.49 ft, minor flooding; 19,080 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2011: 31.10 ft, moderate floodingAug 28, 2011: 41.90 ft, major flooding; 80,700 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 2011: 33.14 ft, major flooding; 33,960 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2014: 34.65 ft, major flooding; 38,800 cubic feet per secondNov 25, 2018: 29.65 ft, minor flooding; 22,023 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 2020: 28.01 ft, minor flooding; 17,704 cubic feet per secondAug 24, 2021: 30.53 ft, moderate flooding; 24,550 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2021: 42.13 ft, major flooding; 75,471 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2022: 29.89 ft, minor flooding; 22,691 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 2023: 33.72 ft, major flooding; 35,120 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2023: 29.62 ft, minor flooding; 21,940 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 33.70 ft, major flooding; 35,120 cubic feet per second Highest, 42.13 ft, Sep 17, 1999 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Raritan River at Bound Brook 1970s: 9 9 1980s: 5 1990s: 8 2000s: 3 2010s: 9 2020s: 7 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Raritan River at Bound Brook
1Sep 17, 199942.13+14.13Major82,900
2Sep 2, 202142.13+14.13Major75,471
3Aug 28, 201141.90+13.90Major80,700
4Apr 16, 200738.38+10.38Major56,900
5Aug 28, 197137.47+9.47Major46,100
6Mar 14, 201036.04+8.04Major—
7Oct 20, 199635.58+7.58Major40,100
8May 1, 201434.65+6.65Major38,800
9Dec 19, 202333.72+5.72Major35,120
10Jan 10, 202433.70+5.70Major35,120
11Jan 20, 199633.34+5.34Major32,700
12Jan 25, 197933.18+5.18Major34,600
13Sep 9, 201133.14+5.14Major33,960
14Jul 7, 198432.00+4.00Moderate28,600
15Apr 16, 198331.84+3.84Moderate28,100
16Dec 21, 197331.73+3.73Moderate31,000
17Jan 26, 197831.33+3.33Moderate30,000
18Apr 17, 201131.10+3.10Moderate—
19Apr 3, 197031.02+3.02Moderate29,600
20Apr 5, 198430.94+2.94Moderate25,500
21Apr 3, 200530.54+2.54Moderate24,700
22Aug 24, 202130.53+2.53Moderate24,550
23Feb 1, 197330.47+2.47Moderate28,000
24Jul 14, 197530.27+2.27Moderate23,600
25Sep 21, 198930.22+2.22Moderate23,500
26Jun 23, 197230.11+2.11Moderate26,900
27Dec 12, 200330.02+2.02Moderate—
28Jan 29, 199430.00+2.00Moderate22,900
29Apr 8, 202229.89+1.89Minor22,691
30Nov 25, 201829.65+1.65Minor22,023
31Dec 28, 202329.62+1.62Minor21,940
32Mar 11, 199429.47+1.47Minor21,400
33Apr 5, 198729.36+1.36Minor21,100
34Jul 21, 197529.24+1.24Minor20,718
35Mar 31, 201029.11+1.11Minor—
36Dec 2, 199628.89+0.89Minor—
37Mar 11, 201128.49+0.49Minor19,080
38Mar 7, 201128.40+0.40Minor18,900
39Jan 28, 199628.39+0.39Minor18,900
40Mar 22, 199928.36+0.36Minor18,100
41Dec 25, 202028.01+0.01Minor17,704
42Jan 24, 199826.39−1.61Action14,100
43May 12, 199826.02−1.98Action13,300

The worst floods along the Raritan River

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

September 17, 1999: 42.13 ft here, major flooding

  • ManvilleNJ · Sep 17, 1999 · 27.10 ft · Major

September 2, 2021: 42.13 ft here, major flooding

  • ManvilleNJ · Sep 2, 2021 · 27.66 ft · Major · its highest

August 28, 2011: 41.90 ft here, major flooding

  • ManvilleNJ · Aug 28, 2011 · 26.24 ft · Major

Gauges on the Raritan River

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

Flood gauges on the Raritan River
ManvilleNJ14.027.66 ft, Sep 2, 202110
Bound Brook this gaugeNJ28.042.13 ft, Sep 17, 199913

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
Millington8.010.26 ft, Aug 29, 20112
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 BDKN4, 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.