Flood maps and river gauges near Clifton
Waterproofing deals with groundwater and rain. It does not hold back a river. Before paying for a drain system, find out which of the two your street gets.
You will be put through to an independent local waterproofing company. Calls may be recorded.
Three look-ups
The flood map
Type the address into FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center. It returns the official map panel for the property and shows whether it lies in a mapped flood hazard area.
The river upstream
The National Weather Service runs a gauge on the Passaic River at Little Falls, upstream of Clifton. It lists minor flooding at 7 feet, moderate at 8 and major at 9, and the page shows the current level and the forecast.
The river at Clifton
The U.S. Geological Survey measures the Passaic River at Dundee Dam in Clifton. Its graph shows how high the river stood on the days your basement was wet.
Reading what you find
Compare dates. If the basement took water only on days when the river or a brook was high, the cause is flooding. If it takes water in ordinary storms while the gauges stay low, the cause is groundwater or roof water, and that is what waterproofing is for.
Weasel Brook and the Third River also run through Clifton. Small streams rise and fall faster than a big river, so a street beside one can flood in a single cloudburst while the Passaic gauges barely move.
If the address is in a mapped flood area
Warnings and reports in Clifton
Clifton's Office of Emergency Management links to the sign-up for the city's emergency notifications. It is worth doing before the next storm.
Street flooding from a blocked catch basin is a different thing from a river in flood. The discharge guide says which city department to ring about that.