Flooding in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: the flood zone, the record, and what to do
Upper Saddle River sits at the top of the river it is named after. The Saddle River that floods Lodi and Rochelle Park so often is, here, a young stream with a small catchment, and the borough's flood record is modest to match.
Bergen County's 2026 hazard mitigation plan puts 6.34 per cent of Upper Saddle River's land in the FEMA one per cent annual chance flood zone. FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program records 65 claims in the borough, 25 of them in 2011, and six repetitive-loss properties. The Saddle River forms inside the borough from branches flowing down from New York, and at the USGS gauge on Lake Street it drains just 10.9 square miles. This page covers what that means in a storm, what the borough is doing along the river, and why most water damage here is not river flooding at all.
The short version
- Bergen County's 2026 hazard mitigation plan puts 6.34 per cent of Upper Saddle River's land in the one per cent annual chance flood zone.
- FEMA records 65 NFIP claims in the borough and six repetitive-loss properties, none severe.
- The Saddle River drains only 10.9 square miles at the Lake Street gauge, against 60.6 at the Passaic.
- Floyd in 1999 is the largest flow on the Lake Street record; Ida in 2021 is third.
- The borough is discussing higher gabion walls along the river at Lions Park and Hess Court Park.
The flood zone and the claims
Table 4.6-1 of the Bergen County 2026 hazard mitigation plan measures 214 acres of Upper Saddle River, 6.34 per cent of its land, inside the one per cent annual chance flood zone, and 7.09 per cent including the 0.2 per cent zone. FEMA counts 65 NFIP claims in the borough over the life of the programme. The worst year was 2011, with 25 claims, followed by 1999 with 13 and 2021 with 5. By named event FEMA attributes 13 claims to Hurricane Floyd, 9 to Hurricane Irene, 5 to Hurricane Ida and 2 to Hurricane Sandy. FEMA's multiple-loss records, as of 2 August 2026, list six repetitive-loss properties and none in the severe category. Against 2,817 homes counted by the US Census Bureau, the claim total works out at about 23 per 1,000 homes by our arithmetic. The county plan counts 47 active flood policies as of October 2024.
Where the Saddle River begins
The Saddle River takes shape in Upper Saddle River, about two miles south of the New York border, where streams from Rockland County come together. FEMA's flood study carries its detailed analysis of the main river up to the confluence of the East and West Branches, and notes that the floodplain along the West Branch in the borough was redrawn using the borough's own topographic data. The USGS gauge on Lake Street measures a drainage area of 10.9 square miles. By the time the river reaches the Passaic, the same flood study gives it 60.6 square miles. The floods that make headlines downstream are built from tributaries joining well below this borough.
What the Lake Street gauge has recorded
The USGS has recorded annual peaks on the Saddle River at Upper Saddle River since 1966. The largest by a wide margin was Hurricane Floyd on 16 September 1999, at 6,290 cubic feet per second. Next come 4,150 in November 1977 and 3,800 during the remnants of Ida on 1 September 2021. Ida is a reminder that the storm to fear on a small stream is intense rain over a few hours, not only a slow-moving hurricane. The county plan also lists Upper Saddle River, with Mahwah and Garfield, among the areas affected by the March 2010 nor'easter. With no Weather Service forecast gauge on this stretch, warnings come as flash flood alerts.
Lions Park and Hess Court Park
The borough's own flood work, as summarised in the county's 2026 mitigation strategy, is about its parks. There is already a gabion wall, a wall of stone-filled wire baskets, along the Saddle River at Lions Park, and the borough is discussing adding height and length to it to reduce or stop the river overtopping its banks and flooding the park, athletic fields and playground. Similar gabion walls are under discussion at Hess Court Park.
What this means if you own or rent here
Check your address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center, especially if you are near the river or one of its branches. For most homes in the borough, the practical risks are a basement taking water in a cloudburst, a sump pump failing in a power cut, or runoff from a slope finding a window well. The US Census Bureau puts the median year built at 1971, so many basements are decades old; keep gutters clear, check grading by the foundation and keep valuables off the floor. Flood is excluded from homeowners and renters policies and requires a separate flood policy, which normally takes 30 days to start. Sewer backup is usually a homeowners endorsement. Whether a particular loss is covered is decided by your insurer and policy wording.
Common questions
Does Upper Saddle River, NJ flood?
Occasionally, and mostly in the largest storms. FEMA counts 65 flood insurance claims in the borough, the most in 2011 and 1999. The flood the borough itself has highlighted is the Saddle River overtopping its banks into Lions Park.
Where does the Saddle River start?
Its headwaters are in Rockland County, New York, and the river forms in Upper Saddle River about two miles south of the state line. At the USGS gauge on Lake Street it drains 10.9 square miles.
Is there a flood gauge for the Saddle River in Upper Saddle River?
Yes, the USGS gauge on Lake Street, which has recorded peaks since 1966. It is not a National Weather Service flood forecast point; the nearest Weather Service gauge on the river is downstream at Ridgewood.
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