Newark, New Jersey – Thunderstorms unleashed life-threatening flash flooding across central Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and eastern Passaic counties Thursday afternoon, inundating streets and stranding drivers as rainfall rates soared to 2-3 inches per hour.
According to the National Weather Service, between 2 and 3 inches had already fallen by 2:37 p.m., with an additional 2 to 4 inches possible through 5:30 p.m. Areas at greatest risk include Paterson, Hackensack, Wayne, Bloomfield, Lyndhurst, and several North Jersey suburbs. Radar indicates ongoing flash flooding on highways, in urban neighborhoods, and near creeks.
Travel remains extremely dangerous, with numerous roadways—such as Route 17, Garden State Parkway, and local arteries—reported as impassable or quickly deteriorating. Emergency officials urge residents to seek higher ground and avoid all flooded roads, emphasizing that “turn around, don’t drown” remains critical: most flood fatalities happen in vehicles. Utility outages and delays to NJ Transit are likely, with widespread disruptions expected through the evening commute.
With the rain threat not ending until after sundown, officials recommend charging phones, monitoring local alerts, and staying off roads unless evacuating. This marks one of the most intense summer flood emergencies for North Jersey in recent years.
Flash flood warnings are expected to remain in effect until at least 5:30 p.m., with additional advisories possible as more storms move across the region.
