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Whippany River at Morristown

Highest listed crest 9.60 ftFlood stage 6.0 ft28 crests since 1928

The Whippany River at Morristown crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 28 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1928 to 2026. The highest, 9.60 ft on August 28, 2011, was major flooding, 3.60 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Whippany River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
9.60 ft
August 28, 2011
Flood stage
6.0 ft
Major flooding from 8.0 ft
Crests at major
4
32nd of 125 gauges in New Jersey
Most recent flood crest
July 29, 2026
6.86 ft, minor flooding
Location
Morris County
Near Morristown (1.3 mi), Florham Park (3.9 mi), Madison (3.9 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Whippany River at Morristown
Action stage5.03Jun 14, 1998The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)6.015Jul 29, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage7.06Jan 10, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage8.04Aug 28, 2011Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

28 crests from 1928 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Whippany River at Morristown, 1928 to 2026 5678910ft Flood stage 6.0 ftMajor 8.0 ft Aug 26, 1928: 7.30 ft, moderate flooding; 2,000 cubic feet per secondNov 19, 1932: 7.00 ft, moderate flooding; 1,820 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 1971: 8.60 ft, major floodingJan 25, 1979: 7.40 ft, moderate flooding; 2,080 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1984: 6.66 ft, minor flooding; 1,680 cubic feet per secondJul 7, 1984: 6.40 ft, minor flooding; 1,540 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 1989: 6.07 ft, minor flooding; 1,380 cubic feet per secondAug 11, 1990: 6.00 ft, minor flooding; 1,350 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1992: 6.32 ft, minor flooding; 1,510 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1996: 5.56 ft, action stage; 1,160 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1996: 5.42 ft, action stage; 1,100 cubic feet per secondOct 20, 1996: 7.77 ft, moderate flooding; 2,250 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1998: 5.78 ft, action stage; 1,190 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1999: 6.33 ft, minor flooding; 724 cubic feet per secondSep 16, 1999: 8.33 ft, major flooding; 2,630 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 2005: 6.06 ft, minor flooding; 1,150 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2007: 6.79 ft, minor flooding; 1,620 cubic feet per secondAug 22, 2011: 9.00 ft, major floodingAug 28, 2011: 9.60 ft, major floodingMay 1, 2014: 6.37 ft, minor flooding; 1,501 cubic feet per secondAug 23, 2021: 6.38 ft, minor flooding; 1,396 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2021: 7.31 ft, moderate flooding; 2,009 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2022: 6.55 ft, minor flooding; 1,421 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2023: 6.34 ft, minor flooding; 1,299 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2023: 6.99 ft, minor flooding; 1,698 cubic feet per secondDec 28, 2023: 6.32 ft, minor flooding; 1,288 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 7.04 ft, moderate flooding; 1,732 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 2026: 6.86 ft, minor flooding; 1,617 cubic feet per second Highest, 9.60 ft, Aug 28, 2011 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Whippany River at Morristown 1920s: 1 1930s: 1 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 2 1980s: 3 1990s: 5 2000s: 2 2010s: 3 2020s: 8 8 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, Whippany River at Morristown
1Aug 28, 20119.60+3.60Major—
2Aug 22, 20119.00+3.00Major—
3Aug 28, 19718.60+2.60Major—
4Sep 16, 19998.33+2.33Major2,630
5Oct 20, 19967.77+1.77Moderate2,250
6Jan 25, 19797.40+1.40Moderate2,080
7Sep 2, 20217.31+1.31Moderate2,009
8Aug 26, 19287.30+1.30Moderate2,000
9Jan 10, 20247.04+1.04Moderate1,732
10Nov 19, 19327.00+1.00Moderate1,820
11Dec 18, 20236.99+0.99Minor1,698
12Jul 29, 20266.86+0.86Minor1,617
13Apr 15, 20076.79+0.79Minor1,620
14Apr 5, 19846.66+0.66Minor1,680
15Apr 8, 20226.55+0.55Minor1,421
16Jul 7, 19846.40+0.40Minor1,540
17Aug 23, 20216.38+0.38Minor1,396
18May 1, 20146.37+0.37Minor1,501
19Jun 27, 20236.34+0.34Minor1,299
20Mar 22, 19996.33+0.33Minor724
21Jun 6, 19926.32+0.32Minor1,510
22Dec 28, 20236.32+0.32Minor1,288
23May 6, 19896.07+0.07Minor1,380
24Apr 2, 20056.06+0.06Minor1,150
25Aug 11, 19906.000.00Minor1,350
26Jun 14, 19985.78−0.22Action1,190
27Jan 20, 19965.56−0.44Action1,160
28Jan 27, 19965.42−0.58Action1,100

The worst floods along the Whippany River

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

August 28, 2011: 9.60 ft here, major flooding

  • Pine BrookNJ · Aug 30, 2011 · 12.54 ft · Minor · its highest

September 16, 1999: 8.33 ft here, major flooding

October 20, 1996: 7.77 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Whippany River

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

Flood gauges on the Whippany River
Morristown this gaugeNJ6.09.60 ft, Aug 28, 20114
Pine BrookNJ9.012.54 ft, Aug 30, 20110

Other gauges in Morris County

Flood gauges in Morris County
Picatinny3.03.84 ft, Aug 28, 20110
Pottersville4.55.94 ft, Jul 7, 19840
Chatham6.09.36 ft, Aug 2, 19730
Pine Brook19.024.12 ft, Aug 30, 201113
Boonton above reservoir4.54.71 ft, Dec 18, 20230
Boonton below reservoir5.09.73 ft, Aug 29, 20117
Pine Brook9.012.54 ft, Aug 30, 20110
at Midwood7.515.20 ft, Apr 16, 20071
at Ryerson12.017.00 ft, Apr 16, 20071

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WHIN4, 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.