These NJ Rivers Expected To Have Major Flooding As Storm Arrives

NEW JERSEY — While some New Jersey towns have yet to fully dry out from the last river flooding event three weeks ago, forecasters say that another "major" to "moderate" flooding event is expected overnight.

This fierce storm, which prompted Gov. Phil Murphy to issue a state of emergency on Tuesday, is expected to dump 1 to 3 inches of rain on the Garden State with possibly 4 inches in some areas.

The rain coupled with snow melt from this weekend's storm will lead to flooding, say forecasters.

"The worst winds & rain will pass through between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m., but river flooding will last through Wednesday. The worst coastal flooding will be Tuesday night, but some flooding may persist into Wednesday for some coastal areas as well," according to the National Weather Service.

River Flooding

Three rivers in North Jersey are expected to hit the "major flood level" stage in Bergen, Passaic, and Morris counties.

Major flooding is defined by the NWS as "extensive inundation of structures and roads. Significant evacuations of people and/or transfer of property to higher elevations."

The Pompton River at Pompton Plains and Passaic River at Little Falls are both expected to crest slightly over major flood stage: The Pompton will rise to 19.3 feet on Wednesday, and the Passaic will rise to 9.4 feet on Thursday.

The Passaic River at Pine Brook will also hit the major flood stage and rise to 21.4 feet by Thursday.

The Saddle River at Lodi will just hit the major flood stage at 8.1 feet by 12 a.m. on Wednesday.

Mayors of Wayne, Lincoln Park, Pequannock, and Pompton Lakes asked environmental officials to open the gates early after experiencing severe flooding just three weeks ago in mid-December. However, state officials said they will not manually open the Pompton Lakes Dam floodgates ahead of the storm. Read More: Wayne Mayor Decries State Decision Not To Open Pompton Lake Dam Early

While not labeled as "major" flooding, some rivers in Central Jersey such as the Raritan River and Millstone River will hit "moderate" flood levels.

Moderate flooding is defined by the NWS as "some inundation of structures and roads near stream. Some evacuations of people and/or transfer of property to higher elevations."

Somerset County was hit hard in mid-December as well, as rivers hit "major" and "moderate" flood stages. Read More: Rushing Rivers Flood Roads, Parks In Bridgewater: Videos, Photos

The Raritan River in Manville and the Raritan River in Bound Brook are both expected to hit the moderate flood stage: The river in Manville will rise to 17.8 feet by Wednesday afternoon, and the river in Bound Brook will rise to 31.8 feet by noon on Wednesday.

The Millstone River at Blackwells Mills will also rise to "moderate" flood levels at 12.6 feet by Wednesday.

Coastal Flooding

Coastal flooding will also be an issue for New Jersey towns along the shore.

"The coastal flood threat has increased for later this afternoon and into Wednesday morning along the New Jersey coastline. Ocean County has been upgraded to a Coastal Flood Warning while a Coastal Flood Advisory has been issued for southeast Burlington, Atlantic, and Cape May counties. Minor to Moderate coastal flooding is now forecasted for all Jersey Shore communities," according to NWS.