Flash Flood — Camden, New Jersey

2004-07-12 to 2004-07-13 · near Countywide, Camden, New Jersey

Wider weather episode

During the afternoon and early evening of the 12th, a series of thunderstorms with torrential downpours and heavy rain moved across Camden County. Even heavier rain fell in Burlington County. The combination of the heavy rain in Camden County and the runoff from streams in Burlington County produced record breaking crests along the Copper River and Pennsauken Creek in Camden County. Widespread poor drainage flooding occurred. The worst flooding damage occurred in both Camden and Cherry Hill. Many major roads were closed. On Friday July 16th, President George W. Bush declared Camden and neighboring Burlington Counties disaster areas. This cleared the way for government grants and low interest loans. Agricultural damage was expected to be in the millions in both counties, especially to the cranberry bogs where many retention walls and earthen roads were damaged. Property damage was estimated at five million dollars, most of it in Cherry Hill. In spite of all of the record flooding and water rescues, no serious injuries were reported. Rain, heavy at times, fell throughout most of the morning and afternoon on the 12th, but it started intensifying late in the afternoon. In Burlington County, at the South Jersey Regional Airport in Lumberton New Jersey, torrential downpours began at 507 p.m. EDT and continued until the 945 p.m. EDT observation. During that four hour period 4.45 inches of rain fell. In Camden City, vehicles stalled on Kaighn and Reeves Avenues and River Road. Flood waters reached up to four feet in yards. In Cherry Hill Township, flood damage was centered in the Fox Run Development on Sequoia Road. The development backs to the North Branch of the Cooper River. Thirteen families were evacuated and the foundation to three homes partially collapsed. Many other Cherry Hill homes had basement flooding. The main stem of the Cooper River flooded homes in Collingswood. The failure of a dam gate at Columbia Lakes off of Church Road forced the closure of New Jersey State Route 38 on the 13th. A large sink hole closed the heavily traveled County Route 561 in Cherry Hill. The Cooper River at Haddonfield had a RECORD BREAKING crest of 6.20 feet at 1 a.m. EDT on the 13th. The previous record was 5.46 feet on August 28, 1971. The river was above its 2.8 foot flood stage from 543 p.m. EDT on the 12th through 11 a.m. EDT on the 13th. The North Branch of the Cooper River at Ellisberg had a record breaking crest of 7.63 feet. The previous record was 6.65 feet on August 28, 1971. The South Branch of the Pennsauken Creek in Cherry Hill had a record breaking crest of 11.75 feet. The previous record was 11.63 feet on July 4, 1994. Storm totals included 7.90 inches in Cherry Hill, 6.25 inches in Gloucester City, 4.45 inches in Camden and 4.05 inches in Somerdale

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5422181. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.