Recalling the Remnants of Ida
Third Anniversary of Horrific Floods from Ida’s Remnants This Weekend
SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ – The statistical peak of another Atlantic Hurricane season is approaching. Labor Day is a week away. This weekend will mark the third anniversary of the Garden State’s bout with horrific floods from the remnants of Hurricane Ida. GWC spends some time here recalling the remnants of Ida and their impact on New Jersey.
Ida began as a monster Category Four Hurricane that slammed into the Port Furchon area of Louisiana in late August 2021. Ida was a much weaker storm in terms of wind, but It still packed a punch with torrential rainfall and even tornadoes. The storm only had winds of 25 to 30 knots, but stronger gusts were reported in New York and Pennsylvania. It created a one to three-foot surge in coastal areas such as Chesapeake Bay.
Worst Flooding Ever at GWC
Ida’s remnants produced the worst flooding in the history of Greg’s Weather Center in South Plainfield, NJ. Worse than Irene’s flooding of 2011 and much worse than the flooding of the early to mid-1970s. After making landfall in Louisiana with winds as high as 150 miles per hour and a minimum central pressure of 931 millibars or 27.49 inches, Ida moved inland and gradually lost tropical characteristics.
The storm squeezed out an abundance of tropical moisture from the Gulf Coast States to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Rainfall amounts in portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana were up to 10 inches. Some local amounts were as high as 15 inches. Further to the east in Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida, rainfall amounts ranged anywhere from 3 to 9 inches. In the Mid-Atlantic, rainfall rates were as high as 3 inches per hour from West Virginia to New York City.
Ida’s Remains Brings Deluge to GWC
At Greg’s Weather Center, the rain began modestly during the mid-afternoon of September 1st, but about 30 minutes or so later, the rain became more steady and ramped up in intensity. The majority of the 7.38 inches of rain that fell at GWC poured out of the sky from 4:00 PM to midnight on September 2nd. The peak rainfall rate during this period was 4.97 inches at 5:45 PM on September 1st.
These remnants combined with a cold front moving in from the west to produce wind shear and rotation. These ingredients resulted in numerous tornadoes around the Mid-Atlantic. A Tornado Watch was in effect until 10:00 PM on September 1st, and the first-ever Tornado Warning was issued for GWC in South Plainfield, NJ. A radar indicated tornadic storm was detected in Southwestern Somerset County, and moved to the northeast. Numerous flashes of lightning were produced by the energy created. The warning lasted until 8:15 PM.
Tornadoes and Flooding from Ida’s Remnants
Earlier in the day, tornadoes were reported in Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey. One of these tornadoes was an EF3 reported in the Mullica Hill section of Gloucester County. There has only been one other EF3 tornado that affected the Garden State and that was the one that struck Belle Meade in Somerset County back in October 1990. A flash flood warning went into effect for Northwestern Middlesex County at about 8:00 PM and stayed in effect until 1:00 AM on September 2nd.
Keep in mind, GWC and the rest of the Garden State already received a good dose of rainfall from Tropical Storm Henri some 10 days before. The storm dumped 3.74 inches of rain at GWC, and higher amounts in Southern Middlesex and Northern Monmouth County. Significant flooding occurred along the Millstone River at places such as Helmetta, Jamesburg, Manalapan, and Spotswood. Some models were quite accurate in projecting the heavy rainfall from Ida’s remnants. One model in particular forecast up to 9 inches of rain for Northern Middlesex County.
Recalling the Remnants of Ida’s Impacts in New Jersey
The barometer fell to about 29.47 inches or 998 millibars, which was down from 29.79 inches after midnight on September 1st. A Flash Flood Emergency was issued for Kearny in Northeastern New Jersey. Places in Hunterdon, Mercer, and Somerset Counties such as Flemington, Princeton, and Montgomery also were dealing with Flash Flood emergencies. Nearby up the road in North Plainfield in Northeastern Somerset County, roads became roaring rapids as the flooding became severe there as well.
A River Flood Warning was issued for portions of the Raritan River at Manville and Bound Brook. The town of Manville in Somerset County, a frequent victim of torrential rains from tropical storms and nor’easters, received over 10 inches of rain. According to the final report issued on Ida by the National Hurricane Center, there were 49 deaths from Ida’s remnants in the Mid-Atlantic. Over half of those (26 deaths) occurred in New Jersey alone. All but one of the deaths in the Mid-Atlantic were due to freshwater flooding. Victims were either swept away by the raging floodwaters or drowned in their vehicles.
Wettest September on Record at GWC
In the neighborhoods around GWC, the flooding was extensive. The floodwaters covered much of the backyard as well as the front of the yard at GWC. This had never happened before in the 50 years I had lived at this residence.
Flooding was even worse further down the block and on neighboring streets. Spring Lake Park in the center of South Plainfield was inundated. The waters from the lake expanded out into the street on Plainfield Avenue not too far from the Municipal Building. The annual South Plainfield Labor Day Parade was postponed until September 25th to allow the town to clean up and recover.
Ida’s impacts were catastrophic for not only the Gulf Coast but also here in New Jersey as well. The storm produced approximately $75 billion in damage. Of that total, approximately $8 to 10 billion occurred in the Garden State. The flooding damage in the neighborhood around GWC far exceeded that caused by Hurricane Irene in August 2011. The storm began the wettest September on record at GWC.
Climatically speaking, September in New Jersey is supposed to be one of the driest on average. However, in September 2021, the story was far different with a total of 10.26 inches. September 2023 had the second most rainfall with 9.27 inches thanks mostly to Tropical Storm Ophelia.