Intense Storms Turn Deadly in New Jersey as Floodwaters Ravage Tri-State

“Unimaginable” storms in New Jersey have reportedly turned deadly for the second time this month with rainfall rates exceeding one to two inches per hour in some of the heaviest downpours.

Some areas of New York City had also experienced as much rainfall as the remnants of Hurricane Ida in 2021, in just an hour’s timespan, with strong storms that sparked flash flooding in parts of New York and New Jersey on Monday, according to a report by NBC New York.

Torrential downpours that reportedly closed multiple subways, stranded vehicles, and resulted in New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) issuing a state of emergency, have now turned deadly.

Gov. Murphy instructed New Jersey residents to “stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel” while authorities in New York’s Rockland County said a woman whose car was trapped in floodwaters had to be rescued.

Below an overpass near the train station in Suffern, New York, meanwhile, was reported to have up to two feet of water, making a roadway impassable, while several subway lines in New York City faced delays or suspended service.

Authorities also said on Tuesday that at least two women were swept away in a vehicle when floodwaters erupted in Plainfield, taking the car from Stelle Avenue into Cedar Brook.

Notably, Monday’s intense storm is the second weather event to turn deadly in New Jersey this July. Earlier this month, three people reportedly died after thunderstorms took down trees — two of whom were also from Plainfield.

“All of Plainfield grieves this latest loss,” Mayor Adrian Mapp said. “To lose four residents in such a short span of time is unimaginable. We mourn with the families, and we remain committed to doing all we can to strengthen our emergency response systems and protect our residents from future harm.”

Officials say the recent storm might be worse than what transpired earlier in July, with regards to loss of life and property. A house exploded in North Plainfield during floods on Monday night, NBC New York noted.

Fortunately, when firefighters arrived to put out the flames, they found that the home was empty due to the family likely having fled to higher ground as floodwaters submerged their residence.

In the meantime, sections of major New York roadways were temporarily closed due to flooding and at least one downed tree, while officials in the state’s Westchester County tried to rescue people whose cars were submerged in water.

Mount Joy in southeast Pennsylvania also issued a disaster emergency as more than seven inches of rain fell in less than five hours on Monday, the borough’s fire department said.

Staten Island, which got hit with around four to six inches of rain, had also received a flood warning.

“Runoff from yesterday’s heavy rains has caused the Bronx River to rise to moderate flood stage of around 3.7 ft early this morning. The river should drop below flood stage this afternoon,” New York City’s National Weather Service (NWS) said in a Tuesday X post.

Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.