Flash flooding kills 2 in New Jersey city during storm, officials say

Two women died in flash flooding in Plainfield, New Jersey, on Monday night after their car was swept into Cedar Brook during the height of a powerful storm, authorities said Tuesday.

Jazz Hunt, the Plainfield mayor’s chief of staff, said the women were traveling on Stelle Avenue when they were swept away.

Plainfield officials said emergency responders got to the scene quickly but the two women could not be saved. They were not immediately identified as authorities worked to notify their families.

Two men previously died in the Union County city during a storm on July 3, when a tree fell on their car, according to officials.

"All of Plainfield grieves this latest loss," Mayor Adrian Mapp said in a statement Tuesday. "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."

The city said it was still working to assess impacts from Monday’s storms and encouraged residents to heed official communications. Plainfield’s pools were closed Tuesday for safety inspections, services at the Plainfield senior center were suspended and city workers were coming up with a plan to help residents with cleanup after the torrential downpours.

Parts of Union County near Plainfield recorded between 4.1 and 5.4 inches of total rainfall by 2 a.m. Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency Monday night during the storm.

“When heavy rainfall overwhelms our infrastructure and the ground’s natural ability to absorb water, we see rapid rises in water levels in rivers, streams & underground springs we never notice,” Shawn LaTourette, the state’s environmental protection commissioner, said in a post on X. “When 16% of your state lies in a floodplain, that is an emergency.”

This is a developing story and has been updated with additional information. Christopher Werth contributed reporting.