Flood Risk for NJ on Tuesday After ‘100-year Flood’ Inundates Burlington County

The National Weather Service characterized a thunderstorm that developed in Burlington and Bucks counties a “100 year flood” after 6-10 inches of rain fell within four hours, leading to several water rescues on Monday afternoon.

Any additional thunderstorms or heavy rain on Tuesday could cause flooding quickly, since the ground is so saturated, according to Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow.

There was a water rescue on River Road in Burlington Township near Bustleton Creek in an industrial park and several flooded out roads including Neck Road near the railroad tracks and the LaGorce neighborhood, according to police.

Route 130 was closed in Burlington Township and also in Florence Township near the Turnpike Extension and there were at least two water rescues in Edgewater Park.

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NJ Transit's RiverLine was forced to temporarily suspend service on Monday afternoon between Cinnaminson and Delanco due to high water.

If you think it's been raining a lot you're right. Zarrow said the first 12 days of July were New Jersey's second or third wettest such period on record. First place was last year, 2020.

"A '100 year flood' doesn't necessarily mean such an event only happens once every 100 years. It means there is a 1% of it happening in any given year," Zarrow said.

He said there were two factors that lead to Monday's super soaker thunderstorm.

"First, the horrendously high humidity.  There's lots of moisture locked up in the atmosphere like a sopping wet sponge, and it all gets 'squeezed out' when there's a storm. Second, lacking any steering mechanism, the heavy rain just sat and sat and sat," Zarrow said.

The vibrant colors on the weather radar were dropping copious amounts of rain on both sides of the Delaware River. According to the National Weather Service, over 7 inches of rain fell in Florence and 5 inches in Beverly and Delanco. Over 10 inches fell across the river in Croydon in Bucks County.