Flooding in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey: the record, the rivers, and what to do
Pompton Lakes is small, but its flood insurance record is not. The Ramapo River runs through the borough and over the Pompton Lakes dam, and the Pompton River begins just downstream. This is what the federal and state record says.
FEMA records 2,535 National Flood Insurance Program claims in Pompton Lakes, more than half as many claims as the borough has homes, and lists 259 properties there as repetitive-loss properties. The source is the Ramapo River, which the National Weather Service has recorded flooding 97 times at Pompton Lakes since 1882. Floodgates on the dam were designed to help upstream homes only. Since 2011 the borough has been part of FEMA-funded and Blue Acres buyouts.
The short version
- FEMA records 2,535 flood insurance claims in Pompton Lakes against 4,317 homes counted by the US Census Bureau.
- FEMA lists 259 repetitive-loss properties in the borough, 111 of them severe repetitive loss.
- The National Weather Service counts 97 floods on the Ramapo at Pompton Lakes since 1882; Irene set the current record of 22.62 feet.
- The dam floodgates were designed to reduce flooding upstream only, with no benefit downstream.
- Pompton Lakes homes have been bought out through FEMA mitigation grants and the state Blue Acres programme.
A small borough with a large claim count
The US Census Bureau counts 11,047 residents and 4,317 housing units in Pompton Lakes. Against that, FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program data record 2,535 claims in the borough over the life of the programme. Many homes have claimed more than once. The worst year was 2011, with 773 claims. The others in the top four are 1984 with 349, 2010 with 285 and 1999 with 266. By named event, FEMA attributes 463 Pompton Lakes claims to Hurricane Irene, 284 to the March 2010 nor'easter, 259 to Hurricane Floyd and 235 to late winter storms. FEMA's multiple-loss list, as of 2 August 2026, includes 259 Pompton Lakes properties, 111 of them classed as severe repetitive loss.
The Ramapo, the lake and the rivers that meet below it
The Ramapo River flows south into Pompton Lake, over the Pompton Lakes dam and on through the southern part of the borough. USGS puts its drainage area at 160 square miles at the Pompton Lakes gauge. Just below, the Pequannock joins it to form the Pompton River. When modelling the dam, NJDEP's consultants studied the Wanaque and Pequannock for backwater, because one river can hold up another where they meet. The National Weather Service makes the same point in its impact list for the Ramapo: at major flood stage, flooding is worsened by the confluence of the Pompton River. Downstream, at 19 feet on the Pompton River at Pompton Plains gauge, the Weather Service expects widespread flooding in the low-lying areas of Pompton Lakes, Wayne and Pequannock.
What the gauge means street by street
The National Weather Service gauge for the Ramapo River at Pompton Lakes has an action stage of 10 feet, minor flood stage of 11.5, moderate of 13.5 and major of 14.5. At 10 feet there is nuisance flooding in low-lying areas near the dam. At 11.5 feet the south section of the borough floods. At 12.5 feet several homes along Riveredge Drive take on water. At 13.5 feet Hamburg Turnpike is closed between Route 202 and Riverview Road, and many homes south of Dawes Highway are flooded. At 14.5 feet the Weather Service describes major flooding with evacuations. The Weather Service flood history for this site counts 97 floods since 1882. The gauge datum changed in 2005, so older crest heights are not directly comparable with recent ones, but on the current basis the record is 22.62 feet during Irene in late August 2011, eight feet above major stage. Other recent major crests are 18.05 feet in March 2010, 16.99 feet in April 2007, 16.72 feet in March 2011 and 15.87 feet in December 2023.
The dam floodgates
The Pompton Lakes dam carries a floodgate facility. The Governor's Passaic River Basin Flood Advisory Commission asked NJDEP to evaluate how the gates affect them, and NJDEP commissioned a hydraulic model of the Ramapo from the Route 287 bridge to the Jackson Avenue bridge over the Pompton, a reach within Pompton Lakes and Wayne. The published summary of that study is plain: the facility provides flood reduction benefits to upstream residences only, and it was designed to have no benefits or negative impacts for downstream floodplain communities. The gates are not a defence for homes below the dam. The state Office of Emergency Management noted in 2011 that NJDEP had engaged a contractor to evaluate floodgate operations.
Buyouts in the borough
Pompton Lakes is one of the towns where New Jersey has bought flooded homes and cleared them. In December 2011 the state Office of Emergency Management announced a FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant to acquire approximately 13 residences in the borough, with NJDEP's Blue Acres programme paying the local share. In October 2014 NJDEP held a kickoff meeting for 19 Pompton Lakes homeowners approved for Blue Acres, noting that the homes included some flooded by Irene and earlier storms. By 2017 NJDEP listed Pompton Lakes among the fourteen municipalities where Blue Acres had been active. Purchased homes are demolished and the land is preserved as open space. Sales are voluntary; this guide has not found a published current total.
What this means if you own or rent here
Learn the Ramapo gauge before you need it. The National Weather Service page for the Ramapo River at Pompton Lakes shows the current stage and the forecast crest, and the impact list above translates the number into streets. If you live south of Dawes Highway, along Riveredge Drive or near the confluence, the forecast is your signal to move cars, raise what is on the basement floor and plan where you will go. Do not assume the dam gates protect you; the state's own study says they were not designed to. Check your address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. Flood is a separate policy from homeowners insurance, and FEMA states that a new flood policy normally takes effect 30 days after purchase. About one home in five in the borough is rented, according to the US Census Bureau, and tenants need their own contents policy. Whether a given loss is covered is decided by your insurer and your policy wording.
Common questions
Why does Pompton Lakes flood so often?
The Ramapo River runs through the borough and the Pequannock and Wanaque meet it just downstream, where it becomes the Pompton River. The National Weather Service notes that flooding at Pompton Lakes is worsened by the Pompton River confluence. FEMA counts 2,535 flood insurance claims in the borough.
Do the Pompton Lakes dam floodgates stop flooding?
Not below the dam. A study commissioned by NJDEP found that the floodgate facility provides flood reduction benefits to upstream residences only and was designed to have no benefit or harm downstream. Most of the borough's flood impacts listed by the National Weather Service are south of the dam.
What is flood stage on the Ramapo River at Pompton Lakes?
The National Weather Service sets minor flood stage at 11.5 feet, moderate at 13.5 and major at 14.5. At 12.5 feet homes on Riveredge Drive take on water, and at 13.5 feet Hamburg Turnpike closes between Route 202 and Riverview Road.
Can I sell a flood-prone Pompton Lakes home to the state?
NJDEP's Blue Acres programme buys flood-prone homes from willing sellers and has been active in Pompton Lakes. Contact Blue Acres and the borough about eligibility.
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