Two Killed in New Jersey as Flash Floods Sweep Through Northeast

Two people lost their lives in New Jersey after their vehicle was swept away by floodwaters during a powerful storm that battered the U.S. Northeast overnight, officials confirmed on Tuesday, July 15.

Governor Phil Murphy said the tragic incident occurred in Plainfield, northern New Jersey—an area that also recorded two storm-related fatalities earlier this month, on July 3. A third death had been reported in nearby North Plainfield during that previous storm.

“We’re in the middle of a weather pattern marked by extreme humidity, high temperatures, and intense storms,” Governor Murphy said during a tour of storm damage in Berkeley Heights. “Everyone needs to remain vigilant.”

The identities of the two victims have not yet been made public. Local authorities reported that their vehicle was swept into a brook during the peak of the storm. Emergency responders arrived promptly, but both occupants were pronounced dead at the scene.

The severe weather also triggered flash flooding in parts of New York and south-central Pennsylvania late Monday into early Tuesday, leading to road closures and disrupting service on the New York City subway.

Officials noted that Central Park saw its second-highest one-hour rainfall ever recorded—over 2 inches—second only to the downpour brought by Hurricane Ida in 2021.