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Raritan River at Manville

Highest listed crest 27.66 ftFlood stage 14.0 ft48 crests since 1938

The Raritan River at Manville crested at major flood stage 10 times among the 48 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1938 to 2024. The highest, 27.66 ft on September 2, 2021, was major flooding, 13.66 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
27.66 ft
September 2, 2021; 90,940 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
14.0 ft
Major flooding from 20.0 ft
Crests at major
10
11th of 125 gauges in New Jersey
Most recent flood crest
January 10, 2024
20.04 ft, major flooding
Location
Somerset County
Near Manville (1.0 mi), Somerville (1.6 mi), Bound Brook (2.5 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 Manville
Action stage12.04Jan 19, 1999The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)14.023Dec 28, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage17.011Dec 19, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage20.010Jan 10, 2024Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

48 crests from 1938 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Raritan River at Manville, 1938 to 2024 1015202530ft Flood stage 14.0 ftMajor 20.0 ft Sep 22, 1938: 20.42 ft, major flooding; 36,100 cubic feet per secondAug 13, 1955: 19.90 ft, moderate flooding; 26,600 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 1955: 21.80 ft, major flooding; 34,600 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 1955: 19.60 ft, moderate flooding; 26,200 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 1971: 23.80 ft, major flooding; 36,300 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 1972: 17.89 ft, moderate flooding; 21,800 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 1982: 16.60 ft, minor flooding; 17,000 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1983: 18.39 ft, moderate flooding; 22,800 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1984: 17.50 ft, moderate flooding; 20,500 cubic feet per secondMay 30, 1984: 16.78 ft, minor flooding; 18,800 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1984: 19.95 ft, moderate flooding; 27,300 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 1989: 16.24 ft, minor flooding; 16,200 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 1992: 15.13 ft, minor flooding; 14,500 cubic feet per secondMar 24, 1993: 13.32 ft, action stage; 10,800 cubic feet per secondDec 5, 1993: 14.48 ft, minor flooding; 14,200 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 1994: 15.55 ft, minor flooding; 14,900 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 1994: 14.95 ft, minor flooding; 12,900 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1996: 19.82 ft, moderate flooding; 24,300 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1996: 14.30 ft, minor flooding; 12,100 cubic feet per secondOct 20, 1996: 22.41 ft, major flooding; 32,000 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1996: 15.67 ft, minor flooding; 15,300 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 1996: 14.80 ft, minor flooding; 13,200 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1998: 12.26 ft, action stage; 10,000 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1998: 12.26 ft, action stage; 10,900 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 1999: 13.00 ft, action stage; 11,600 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1999: 14.80 ft, minor flooding; 14,500 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1999: 27.10 ft, major flooding; 77,600 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 2003: 16.60 ft, minor floodingApr 3, 2005: 16.96 ft, minor flooding; 19,300 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2007: 22.30 ft, major flooding; 30,400 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2010: 21.57 ft, major floodingMar 31, 2010: 14.76 ft, minor floodingMar 7, 2011: 14.89 ft, minor flooding; 15,780 cubic feet per secondMar 11, 2011: 14.94 ft, minor flooding; 15,880 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2011: 17.30 ft, moderate floodingAug 28, 2011: 26.24 ft, major flooding; 55,900 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 2011: 19.18 ft, moderate floodingMay 1, 2014: 19.99 ft, moderate flooding; 29,950 cubic feet per secondNov 25, 2018: 16.12 ft, minor flooding; 18,260 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 2020: 14.02 ft, minor flooding; 14,040 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 2020: 14.68 ft, minor flooding; 15,360 cubic feet per secondJul 18, 2021: 14.00 ft, minor flooding; 14,000 cubic feet per secondAug 24, 2021: 16.61 ft, minor flooding; 19,430 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2021: 27.66 ft, major flooding; 90,940 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2022: 15.99 ft, minor flooding; 17,980 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 2023: 19.84 ft, moderate flooding; 28,520 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2023: 16.45 ft, minor flooding; 19,100 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 20.04 ft, major flooding; 29,160 cubic feet per second Highest, 27.66 ft, Sep 2, 2021 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Raritan River at Manville 1930s: 1 1940s: 0 1950s: 3 1960s: 0 1970s: 2 1980s: 6 1990s: 11 11 2000s: 3 2010s: 9 2020s: 9 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, Raritan River at Manville
1Sep 2, 202127.66+13.66Major90,940
2Sep 17, 199927.10+13.10Major77,600
3Aug 28, 201126.24+12.24Major55,900
4Aug 28, 197123.80+9.80Major36,300
5Oct 20, 199622.41+8.41Major32,000
6Apr 16, 200722.30+8.30Major30,400
7Aug 19, 195521.80+7.80Major34,600
8Mar 14, 201021.57+7.57Major—
9Sep 22, 193820.42+6.42Major36,100
10Jan 10, 202420.04+6.04Major29,160
11May 1, 201419.99+5.99Moderate29,950
12Jul 7, 198419.95+5.95Moderate27,300
13Aug 13, 195519.90+5.90Moderate26,600
14Dec 19, 202319.84+5.84Moderate28,520
15Jan 20, 199619.82+5.82Moderate24,300
16Oct 15, 195519.60+5.60Moderate26,200
17Sep 8, 201119.18+5.18Moderate—
18Apr 16, 198318.39+4.39Moderate22,800
19Jun 23, 197217.89+3.89Moderate21,800
20Apr 5, 198417.50+3.50Moderate20,500
21Apr 17, 201117.30+3.30Moderate—
22Apr 3, 200516.96+2.96Minor19,300
23May 30, 198416.78+2.78Minor18,800
24Aug 24, 202116.61+2.61Minor19,430
25Jan 5, 198216.60+2.60Minor17,000
26Dec 11, 200316.60+2.60Minor—
27Dec 28, 202316.45+2.45Minor19,100
28Sep 21, 198916.24+2.24Minor16,200
29Nov 25, 201816.12+2.12Minor18,260
30Apr 8, 202215.99+1.99Minor17,980
31Dec 2, 199615.67+1.67Minor15,300
32Jan 29, 199415.55+1.55Minor14,900
33Dec 11, 199215.13+1.13Minor14,500
34Mar 10, 199414.95+0.95Minor12,900
35Mar 11, 201114.94+0.94Minor15,880
36Mar 7, 201114.89+0.89Minor15,780
37Dec 14, 199614.80+0.80Minor13,200
38Mar 22, 199914.80+0.80Minor14,500
39Mar 31, 201014.76+0.76Minor—
40Dec 25, 202014.68+0.68Minor15,360
41Dec 5, 199314.48+0.48Minor14,200
42Jan 28, 199614.30+0.30Minor12,100
43Dec 1, 202014.02+0.02Minor14,040
44Jul 18, 202114.000.00Minor14,000
45Mar 24, 199313.32−0.68Action10,800
46Jan 19, 199913.00−1.00Action11,600
47Jan 24, 199812.26−1.74Action10,000
48Apr 10, 199812.26−1.74Action10,900

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 2, 2021: 27.66 ft here, major flooding

September 17, 1999: 27.10 ft here, major flooding

  • Bound BrookNJ · Sep 17, 1999 · 42.13 ft · Major · its highest

August 28, 2011: 26.24 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Raritan River

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

Flood gauges on the Raritan River
Manville this gaugeNJ14.027.66 ft, Sep 2, 202110
Bound BrookNJ28.042.13 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
Bound Brook28.042.13 ft, Sep 17, 199913
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 MNVN4, 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.