Key Points
- Two people died in Plainfield, New Jersey, after their vehicle was swept away by flash floods during severe storms that battered the Northeast.
- New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency on July 14, 2025.
- Flash flooding also disrupted transportation across New York City and other parts of the Northeast, causing subway suspensions, airport delays, and widespread road closures.
- Rainfall totals in the hardest-hit areas of New Jersey reached between 3 to 6.5 inches, with localized rainfall topping 6 inches in under three hours.
- Union and Somerset counties in New Jersey saw significant emergency responses with dozens of rescues from flooded homes and stranded vehicles.
- Severe storms in early July also resulted in three deaths in Plainfield and North Plainfield, highlighting the cumulative devastation in the region.
- Experts and emergency officials cited climate change and inadequate infrastructure as contributing factors to the increasing frequency and severity of flash flooding.
- The storms and resulting floods caused over 170 flight cancellations at Newark Liberty Airport, and disrupted rail and subway services.
- New York City subway riders witnessed dramatic scenes of water surging onto platforms and trains at multiple stations.
- Governor Murphy and local officials emphasized the need for ongoing vigilance as additional storms were forecast in the days following the disaster.
- Authorities urged residents to stay indoors, avoid unnecessary travel, and heed evacuation warnings, particularly those in vulnerable housing such as basement apartments.
Severe storms and record-breaking rainfall battered the New York City area on July 14, 2025, triggering deadly flash floods across the Northeast and resulting in the deaths of two people in Plainfield, New Jersey. The relentless storms brought widespread chaos, paralyzed travel in America’s densest metropolis, and prompted urgent warnings from officials as the risk of further severe weather loomed.
What Led to the Deadly Flooding in New Jersey and New York?
As reported by The Associated Press, relentless storms swept across the Northeast on Monday night into Tuesday, saturating the ground and overwhelming infrastructure across New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
“The subway network in New York City was fully functional for the Tuesday morning rush hour. However, several roads in parts of New York and New Jersey remained shut down following intense rainfall that swept through the Northeast U.S. overnight, leading to flash flooding,”
the AP stated.
CBS News New York corroborated that severe weather brought “very, very quickly rising waters” and flooded roads in northern New Jersey and New York’s suburbs, where heavy downpours persisted well into the night, and emergency responders were stretched across multiple counties. According to the National Weather Service, rainfall rates hit up to 3–4 inches per hour, leading to floods that submerged vehicles and trapped commuters.
Why Was a State of Emergency Declared in New Jersey?
Governor Phil Murphy declared the state of emergency as waters rose rapidly in communities from Union to Somerset counties. As reported by CNBC, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced a state of emergency due to heavy rain and stalled storms Monday … urging residents to ‘please stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel. The official statement on the governor’s website underscored the urgency:
“New Jersey will enter a State of Emergency effective at 8:00 p.m. on Monday, July 14, 2025”.
Murphy, during an on-the-ground assessment in Berkeley Heights, described the destruction:
“Last night, we got crushed ... Six inches of rain in under two and a half hours, in two waves—one wave knocked a lot of these communities a little bit off kilter; the second one just came in for the kill. So we’re assessing around all these communities and counties,”
as cited by CBS News.
How Did the Flooding Lead to Fatalities?
As detailed by Reuters and CBS News, two lives were lost in Plainfield after their vehicle was swept away into Cedar Brook.
"They were in a submerged automobile, and their remains were extracted at some point overnight or first thing this morning,"
Governor Murphy explained, per CBS News New York.
Plainfield Mayor Adrian O’Mapp released a heartfelt statement:
“All of Plainfield grieves this latest loss. 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 residents from future harms”.
Emergency crews responded to at least 30 homes for rescues as storm water inundated streets and homes, and dozens more were extracted from stranded vehicles.
How Did the Storms Affect Transportation and Infrastructure?
According to coverage by FOX Weather and Le Monde, a flood warning was still in effect for parts of New Jersey on Tuesday, and infrastructure struggled to cope. New York City’s MTA confirmed that while operations resumed swiftly, video captured dramatic scenes of floodwaters bubbling onto train platforms at the 28th Street station and surging into train carriages.
"Social media footage depicted vehicles partially submerged in various areas of the state," wrote The Associated Press. Massive traffic jams on major roadways were reported, while Westchester County saw drivers rescued from submerged vehicles. Newark Liberty Airport experienced over 170 flight cancellations and commuters were advised to avoid traveling until essential services resumed.
Flooding also severely delayed commuter rails, as confirmed by Janno Lieber, head of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, who told ABC 7 New York about the mobilization of hundreds of workers to restore full service.
What is the Broader Impact and Response to This Weather Event?
The event marked one of the most intense rainfall incidents since 1943 in New York City, with local infrastructure overwhelmed by torrents of up to 17 centimeters (6.7 inches) of rain in just a few hours, according to Down to Earth. The United Nations Environment Programme has highlighted that major urban centers like New York are increasingly vulnerable to severe downpours due to climate change, which contributes to warmer air and heavier rain events.
Reports from CNN emphasize that over 70 million Americans were at risk for flooding and that areas affected had seen rainfall up to 300% above normal in the previous two weeks. The National Weather Service, cited across multiple outlets, cautioned:
“A moisture-laden summer airmass over much of the eastern and central United States will persist, leading to scattered to widespread thunderstorms capable of causing heavy rainfall and flash flooding”.
As described by Al Jazeera, Governor Murphy reminded residents,
“We’re not alone in this, but we are currently experiencing one of those high humidity, elevated temperature, and intense storm patterns. Everyone needs to remain vigilant”.
The threat of more severe weather was expected to persist well into the week.
What Were the Most Dramatic Scenes of the Floods?
Multiple news organizations documented the most dramatic instances of the flooding:
- Video captured water bursting onto New York City subway platforms and carriages, as seen in social media posts referenced by FOX Weather and The Associated Press.
- Shipping containers floated down roads in North Plainfield, and cars were seen driving through waist-high water in Piscataway, New Jersey.
- Dramatic Ring camera footage showed debris and damage in Union County, New Jersey.
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins told CBS News, “The floods happened very, very quickly,” while residents in Scotch Plains saw shipping containers and vehicles washed away by the surging currents.
How Did Officials Advise Residents and Respond to the Crisis?
State and regional officials, as reported by multiple outlets, urged extreme caution. "Please stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel," Governor Murphy said via X (formerly Twitter), as published by ABC News. Residents, especially those in basement apartments in New York City, were warned to be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice.
The Washington Post reported that the flooding left vehicles submerged up to their waist height, and necessitated the activation of dozens of water rescues, highlighting a concerning rise in flood-related deaths nationwide, exacerbated by climate change.
Why Are Northeast Floods Becoming More Frequent and Dangerous?
Expert analysis, quoted by Down to Earth and CNN, linked the
increasing frequency and intensity of floods to climate change and outdated
urban infrastructure incapable of coping with rapid, high-volume rainfall
events.
As the intensity and frequency of such storms increase, city officials and
emergency services are working to adapt, but warn that without infrastructure
investments and mitigation strategies, future events could be even more
catastrophic.