Flooding in Little Falls, New Jersey: the record, the rivers, and what to do
Little Falls floods in two different ways. The Passaic River rises slowly over days and spreads into the Singac section; the Peckman River can rise in an evening. The federal record covers both.
FEMA counts 1,902 National Flood Insurance Program claims in Little Falls Township and lists 229 properties as repetitive-loss properties. The Passaic River, measured at the township's own gauge since the 1890s, causes the broad, slow floods that reach Singac and the streets near Zeliff Avenue. The Peckman River, a small tributary, causes flash floods that the Army Corps of Engineers counts among the worst in its basin. A federal diversion project for the Peckman has been authorised and funded; its construction status is not yet published.
The short version
- FEMA records 1,902 flood insurance claims in Little Falls, with 588 in 2011 alone.
- FEMA lists 229 Little Falls repetitive-loss properties, 85 of them severe repetitive loss.
- At 9.5 feet on the Little Falls gauge, homes on William Street and Zeliff Avenue take on water; Irene crested at 14.19 feet.
- The Singac gauge set its record in December 2023 and came close again in January 2024.
- The Army Corps counts 558 structures in the Peckman 100-year floodplain across Little Falls and Woodland Park; a diversion project is authorised but not yet built.
The claim record
FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program data record 1,902 claims in Little Falls across the life of the programme, many of them repeat claims on the same property. The heaviest year was 2011, with 588 claims; 2007 and 2010 had 237 each, and 2005 had 169. By named event, FEMA attributes 309 claims to Hurricane Irene, 235 to the March 2010 nor'easter, 231 to the April 2007 nor'easter and 196 to late winter storms. Its multiple-loss list, as of 2 August 2026, names 229 Little Falls properties as repetitive-loss properties, 85 of them severe repetitive loss. The US Census Bureau counts 5,832 housing units in the township, with a median year built of 1957.
The Passaic: slow, wide and long-lasting
The township takes its name from a waterfall on the Passaic beside the old Beattie Mill. USGS has daily flow records for the river at Little Falls from 1897, with a drainage area of 762 square miles. The National Weather Service sets flood stage at 7 feet, moderate at 8 and major at 9. At 7 feet minor flooding begins in Little Falls, and at 9.5 feet homes on William Street and Zeliff Avenue take on water. Upstream at the Singac gauge, which has run since late 2012, William Street, Louis Street and Zeliff Avenue can begin to flood at 10 feet, flooding increases across the Singac section at 11, and at 13.5 feet the Weather Service expects widespread flooding in Singac from the river to Main Street. Because the river drains so much land, it can stay high for days after the rain stops.
The floods on record
The highest crest on the Little Falls gauge on the current datum is 14.19 feet on 30 August 2011, after Irene, more than five feet above major flood stage. The National Weather Service lists 12.91 feet in April 1984, 11.88 feet in April 2007, 11.87 feet in March 2010 and 11.81 feet in March 2011. A crest of 17.5 feet in October 1903 was measured on an older datum and is not directly comparable. On the Singac gauge the record is recent: 12.44 feet on 20 December 2023, followed by 11.95 feet on 12 January 2024, two major floods within a month. The remnants of Ida produced 11.45 feet there in September 2021. Irene, 2007 and 2010 also top the FEMA claim counts.
The Peckman: a flash-flood river
USGS traces the Peckman River north from Verona through Cedar Grove and Little Falls to the Passaic in Woodland Park. USGS puts its drainage area at only 7.82 square miles at the Little Falls gauge, but it behaves very differently from the Passaic. The Army Corps of Engineers, in its feasibility study with NJDEP, describes flooding on the Peckman as primarily flash flooding and backwater from the Passaic, and says the most significant problems occur in Little Falls and Woodland Park. The two towns together have 558 structures in the Peckman's 100-year floodplain and 632 in the 500-year floodplain. The Corps records one life lost in Hurricane Floyd in September 1999 and heavy damage in Little Falls from a flash flood on 11 August 2018. Woodland Park says the remnants of Ida in 2021 caused significant damage and loss of life.
Buyouts and the Peckman project
In December 2011 the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management announced a FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant to acquire approximately 15 Little Falls homes along the Passaic River, with the state's Blue Acres programme paying the local share. For the Peckman, the Army Corps recommended a 1,500-foot double box culvert to divert floodwater from the Peckman into the Passaic, with levees and floodwalls, including about 1,207 feet near Little Falls High School, and voluntary elevation or floodproofing of up to 58 buildings. Congress authorised the project in the Water Resources Development Act of 2020, and in January 2022 the Corps announced it would fully fund it. This guide has not found a published construction start date, so until the work is built the flash-flood risk described above remains.
What this means if you own or rent here
Work out which river is yours. Near the Passaic, in Singac or around William Street and Zeliff Avenue, watch the National Weather Service forecasts for the Little Falls and Singac gauges; a river flood gives a day or more of notice. Near the Peckman, the warning is a flash flood warning, and there may be little time, so move cars and valuables when heavy rain is forecast rather than when water appears, and never drive through moving water. Check your address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. Flood is a separate policy from homeowners insurance, and FEMA states that a new policy normally takes effect 30 days after purchase. Close to three in ten Little Falls homes are rented, according to the US Census Bureau, and a tenant's belongings need their own contents policy. Whether a given loss is covered is decided by your insurer and your policy wording.
Common questions
Does Little Falls, NJ flood?
Yes. FEMA counts 1,902 flood insurance claims in the township. The Passaic River floods the Singac section and streets such as William Street, Louis Street and Zeliff Avenue, and the Peckman River causes flash floods along its course through the township.
What is flood stage on the Passaic at Little Falls?
The National Weather Service sets flood stage at 7 feet, moderate flooding at 8 and major at 9. The record on the current datum is 14.19 feet, set on 30 August 2011 after Irene.
What is the Peckman River project?
An Army Corps of Engineers plan to divert Peckman floodwater into the Passaic through a large culvert, with levees, floodwalls and floodproofing of some buildings. It was authorised in 2020 and funded in 2022; a construction start has not been published.
Has Little Falls bought out flooded homes?
In 2011 the state announced a FEMA grant to acquire approximately 15 Little Falls homes along the Passaic. NJDEP's Blue Acres programme buys flood-prone homes from willing sellers; ask the township about current eligibility.
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