Advisory
Cranford OEM Message. Residents Should Be Weather-Aware, Especially In Flash-Flood Prone Locations.
Township of Cranford
Office of Emergency Management
July 28th, 2026 Flash Flooding Tuesday-Wednesday
The following is an update from the Cranford Office of Emergency Management (OEM) as of 07/28/2026 @ 9:30 AM:
The Township of Cranford and Office of Emergency Management are closely monitoring a storm system entering our region beginning today, July 28th, 2026. This system is expected to carry through Wednesday, July 29th, 2026.
CRANFORD’S LATEST FORECAST
July 28th Weather System Highlights: 2” to 3” of rain possible.
Flash Flood Threat Today Through Wednesday:
Please understand that, much like most of the storm systems that have affected Cranford in recent weeks, there remains a great degree of uncertainty on the exact tract and significance of storms this summer. Our soil saturation remains low due to drought conditions, which will mitigate additional complications caused by the next 24 hours of rain.
TOWNSHIP OF CRANFORD STORM PREPARATION
The Township’s Police, Fire and Emergency Medical Services remain at a full complement of personnel, with the police auxiliary remaining on standby in cases of downed trees, downed power lines, and road closures. Barricades have been staged at various flash-flood-prone locations throughout the Township.
The Township has taken precautions, including monitoring river conditions/gates, deploying portable pumps, clearing catch basins, staging equipment, and implementing storm response procedures within the public safety and public works departments. The Cranford DPW is prepared to respond to reports of downed trees blocking township roadways. Locations that are prone to flash-flooding should be considered most as risk during the overnight rainfall. To see all of the storm management preparation efforts by the Township of Cranford, click on the following link to a video playlist produced by the Township’s OEM and TV35: OEM - YouTube
We can protect ourselves and our families with some common-sense preparedness measures.
WHAT RESIDENTS SHOULD DO
Help the Township by removing any debris from the storm drainage systems nearest your home.
Residents in flood-prone areas should take common sense precautions and monitor conditions if flooding materializes. Have multiple ways to receive weather warnings, as the National Weather Service will issue Flood Warnings if conditions materialize. All NWS warnings impacting Cranford will be automatically re-broadcast on NIXLE via email and social media (Facebook and Twitter) and are available on a variety of weather apps and via local news sources. NIXLE text messaging is used in life-threatening emergencies or urgent notifications only.
Recent rains will also result in elevated water tables, so groundwater flooding in basements, even outside of flood zones, remains a possibility. If you receive seepage in your basements or crawl spaces, residents should monitor what items need to be moved to higher locations within the residence.
PLEASE NEVER ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS. If the heaviest rainfall rates occur over the Cranford area, significant roadway flooding may occur. To see a map of areas in the Township where flash-flooding has occurred during past storms, CLICK HERE FOR A MAP OF OBSERVED FLASH FLOODING LOCATIONS
Flood-prone locations may become inundated with rain runoff. Please do not attempt to drive through roadways that are flooded. Just six inches of water is enough to disable a vehicle and cause life-threatening conditions. Confidence remains low as to where these conditions may occur, however, residents whose streets commonly inundate with water during flash flood occurrences should take preventative measures to safeguard property in advance of any rainfall. This is a reminder that residents who opt to move their vehicles to higher ground may not park in private parking lots (including school parking lots) without the expressed permission of owners or managing authorities. Please adhere to all posted parking prohibitions.
Again, there remains a strong potential for 2 to 3 inches of rainfall this evening and into tomorrow. There is the possibility for flooding, including some significant flash flooding, if the right conditions materialize. So, all residents should continue to remain weather aware over the remainder of the day, and if you live in a flood zone, have a plan in place in case the higher-end rainfall impacts our area. Residents should consider whether their homes are in traditionally low-lying portions of our Township with the potential to experience flash flooding. Take necessary precautions in advance of any rainfall.
Residents should report any non-emergency utility problems directly at the contact points below.
EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION FOR UTILITY COMPANIES:
PSE&G 1-800-436-7734
Elizabethtown Gas 1-800-242-5830
New Jersey American Water 1-800-272-1325
Comcast 1-800-266-2278
Verizon FiOS 1-888-438-3467
Verizon 1-800-827-4966
Report non-emergent wires or trees down, or other non-emergency calls to Cranford Police & Fire at (908) 272-2222.
Report all Emergencies (wires down sparking, trees into homes or buildings, utility emergencies, cars trapped in water, etc) by calling 9-1-1.
As a reminder, do not rely on email or social media to report these issues, even if they seem minor or non-emergent. Please always call the non-emergency number if you are concerned and don’t believe it is an emergency warranting a 9-1-1 call.
Cranford OEM Message. Residents Should Be Weather-Aware, Especially In Flash-Flood Prone Locations. 
Township of Cranford
Office of Emergency Management
July 28th, 2026 Flash Flooding Tuesday-Wednesday
The following is an update from the Cranford Office of Emergency Management (OEM) as of 07/28/2026 @ 9:30 AM:
The Township of Cranford and Office of Emergency Management are closely monitoring a storm system entering our region beginning today, July 28th, 2026. This system is expected to carry through Wednesday, July 29th, 2026.
CRANFORD’S LATEST FORECAST
July 28th Weather System Highlights: 2” to 3” of rain possible.
| Tuesday | Cloudy with scattered showers / storms developing late morning - midday. Areas of rain and downpours then become more widespread during the afternoon. 1.00 - 2.00" of Rain (locally 3"+... through sunset) Torrential downpours and storms bring an elevated flooding threat Tuesday - Tuesday night. High 78 - 82 | SSE winds 8 - 18 mph, PM gusts 25 - 30 |
| Tue Night | Mostly cloudy with storms and downpours around especially through midnight. Then, activity turns more isolated toward predawn. 0.50 - 1.50" of Rain (additional, locally 2"+ more early) Low 67 - 71 |
Flash Flood Threat Today Through Wednesday:
- Total Rainfall
- Portions of northeast NJ, the Lower Hudson Valley and southwest CT will experience an average of 3-5”, with isolated totals greater than 7” possible.
- Elsewhere: Average of 2-3”, with isolated totals greater than 5” possible.
- Peak Rainfall Rates: There is a high likelihood of an inch an hour for several hours for areas in the Flood Watch. Isolated peak rates of 2-3” per hour.
- Flash Flooding: Scattered to numerous instances of flash flooding of urban, poor drainage, low-lying areas, and along quick-responding streams. The highest risk is across the NYC metro, NE NJ, SW CT, and the lower Hudson Valley.
- River Flooding: Minor to isolated moderate flood levels may be exceeded along a few quick-responding small rivers, streams, creeks and adjacent roads and properties.
- Severe Thunderstorm Threat Today: Damaging Wind (5% probability): Wind gusts of 60-70 mph are possible, which could damage trees and power lines and result in power outages. The highest risk is across portions of northeast NJ and NYC.
Please understand that, much like most of the storm systems that have affected Cranford in recent weeks, there remains a great degree of uncertainty on the exact tract and significance of storms this summer. Our soil saturation remains low due to drought conditions, which will mitigate additional complications caused by the next 24 hours of rain.
TOWNSHIP OF CRANFORD STORM PREPARATION
The Township’s Police, Fire and Emergency Medical Services remain at a full complement of personnel, with the police auxiliary remaining on standby in cases of downed trees, downed power lines, and road closures. Barricades have been staged at various flash-flood-prone locations throughout the Township.
The Township has taken precautions, including monitoring river conditions/gates, deploying portable pumps, clearing catch basins, staging equipment, and implementing storm response procedures within the public safety and public works departments. The Cranford DPW is prepared to respond to reports of downed trees blocking township roadways. Locations that are prone to flash-flooding should be considered most as risk during the overnight rainfall. To see all of the storm management preparation efforts by the Township of Cranford, click on the following link to a video playlist produced by the Township’s OEM and TV35: OEM - YouTube
We can protect ourselves and our families with some common-sense preparedness measures.
WHAT RESIDENTS SHOULD DO
Help the Township by removing any debris from the storm drainage systems nearest your home.
Residents in flood-prone areas should take common sense precautions and monitor conditions if flooding materializes. Have multiple ways to receive weather warnings, as the National Weather Service will issue Flood Warnings if conditions materialize. All NWS warnings impacting Cranford will be automatically re-broadcast on NIXLE via email and social media (Facebook and Twitter) and are available on a variety of weather apps and via local news sources. NIXLE text messaging is used in life-threatening emergencies or urgent notifications only.
Recent rains will also result in elevated water tables, so groundwater flooding in basements, even outside of flood zones, remains a possibility. If you receive seepage in your basements or crawl spaces, residents should monitor what items need to be moved to higher locations within the residence.
PLEASE NEVER ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS. If the heaviest rainfall rates occur over the Cranford area, significant roadway flooding may occur. To see a map of areas in the Township where flash-flooding has occurred during past storms, CLICK HERE FOR A MAP OF OBSERVED FLASH FLOODING LOCATIONS
Flood-prone locations may become inundated with rain runoff. Please do not attempt to drive through roadways that are flooded. Just six inches of water is enough to disable a vehicle and cause life-threatening conditions. Confidence remains low as to where these conditions may occur, however, residents whose streets commonly inundate with water during flash flood occurrences should take preventative measures to safeguard property in advance of any rainfall. This is a reminder that residents who opt to move their vehicles to higher ground may not park in private parking lots (including school parking lots) without the expressed permission of owners or managing authorities. Please adhere to all posted parking prohibitions.
Again, there remains a strong potential for 2 to 3 inches of rainfall this evening and into tomorrow. There is the possibility for flooding, including some significant flash flooding, if the right conditions materialize. So, all residents should continue to remain weather aware over the remainder of the day, and if you live in a flood zone, have a plan in place in case the higher-end rainfall impacts our area. Residents should consider whether their homes are in traditionally low-lying portions of our Township with the potential to experience flash flooding. Take necessary precautions in advance of any rainfall.
Residents should report any non-emergency utility problems directly at the contact points below.
EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION FOR UTILITY COMPANIES:
PSE&G 1-800-436-7734
- Report Power Outages to PSEG at: 1-800-436-7734 Download the PSE&G mobile app to report outages and receive information on restoration times, crew locations and more.
- Register for MyAlerts to receive text notifications at pseg.com/outagecenter.
- Report an outage and receive status updates by texting OUT to 4PSEG (47734). You can also report your outage through our app, website at pseg.com/myaccount
Elizabethtown Gas 1-800-242-5830
New Jersey American Water 1-800-272-1325
Comcast 1-800-266-2278
Verizon FiOS 1-888-438-3467
Verizon 1-800-827-4966
Report non-emergent wires or trees down, or other non-emergency calls to Cranford Police & Fire at (908) 272-2222.
Report all Emergencies (wires down sparking, trees into homes or buildings, utility emergencies, cars trapped in water, etc) by calling 9-1-1.
As a reminder, do not rely on email or social media to report these issues, even if they seem minor or non-emergent. Please always call the non-emergency number if you are concerned and don’t believe it is an emergency warranting a 9-1-1 call.
Address/Location
Cranford Police Department
8 Springfield Ave
Cranford, NJ 07016
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 908-272-2222
TEXT-A-TIP - Text TIP CRANFORDPD followed by your message, to 888777
