Death toll rises to three in violent storm in Central Jersey

Yahoo

06-07-2025

A quick-moving but violent thunderstorm carved a path of chaos and destruction across Central Jersey Thursday evening, July 3 causing at least three fatalities, severe damage and leaving thousands without power.
In addition to a fatality in North Plainfield that was reported earlier, Plainfield officials have confirmed two more deaths as a result of the storm.
All three deaths resulted from trees falling on vehicles.
According to a statement issued by the city, seventy-nine-year-old Rocco Sansone of North Plainfield and twenty-five-year-old Brian Ernesto Valladares, a Plainfield resident and native of El Salvador, lost their lives when a tree fell on the vehicle they were traveling in on Myrtle Avenue.
"The City of Plainfield extends our deepest condolences to the families of Mr. Sansone and Mr. Valladares," the statement says. "Their deaths are a heartbreaking reminder of the storm's sudden and devastating power."
Earlier North Plainfield Mayor Lawrence La Ronde confirmed one fatality during the storm.
A Middlesex County woman was driving along Greenbrook Road when she pulled over to sit out the storm. But a large tree and electrical wires came down on her vehicle, La Ronde. told WABC news.
Plainfield borne the brunt of the storm that struck shortly after 6 p.m. Thursday.
More than 80 downed trees have been reported across the city, many of them entangled with power lines and blocking major thoroughfares. Numerous homes have sustained substantial damage, some structurally compromised by fallen trees, and multiple vehicles have been crushed or severely damaged.
Power outages are widespread, affecting residential neighborhoods and apartment complexes throughout Plainfield.
PSE&G will station a mobile trailer at the Office of Emergency Management at police headquarters to serve as a charging station, information hub, and rapid response center for power restoration. The utility company is prioritizing downed wires and high-impact zones, with teams already deployed throughout the city.
The Senior Center at 400 East Front St. remains open for residents seeking relief. Cooling, resting areas, and essential services are available. The American Red Cross is on site providing blankets, emergency supplies, and support to those displaced or affected by storm damage.
At the Woodlands apartment complex, operating on backup generator power, the city is supplying diesel fuel to maintain power for residents. Office of Emergency Management officials remain are on site to monitor conditions and address emerging needs.
The police and fire departments are working around the clock, supported by mutual aid from Union County Police, Westfield, Cranford, and the New Jersey State Police Office of Emergency Management.
"This is a moment of profound challenge for our city, but it is also a time to come together as neighbors, partners, and one community committed to healing and rebuilding," the statement says.
Plainfield remains in a state of emergency The city's Independence Day Parade, concert, and fireworks were been canceled. The school district's BBQ at Charles and Anna Booker School was also canceled.
The storm, which raced southeast from northern Hunterdon County, through eastern Somerset County and western Union County before sweeping across northern Middlesex Country, struck during the evening rush hour on the day before the Fourth of July.
As of 3 p.m. Friday, Public Service Electric and Gas was thousands of customers ustomers were without power in the most severely impacted area of Plainfield, Edison. North Plainfield, Dunellen, and South Plainfield. The utility was reporting that power was expected to be restored by 11 p.m. Saturday.
Jersey Central Power and Light was reporting 800 customers without power, most in the Warren and Watchung area. The utility was saying that power should be restored by 11 p.m. Friday.
According to the National Weather Service, a wind gust of 62 mph was recorded in the Colonia section of Woodbridge and a 55-mph gust was recorded in Perth Amboy. One-inch hailstones were reported near Bethlehem and Easton in the Lehigh Valley.
The heaviest damage came in the area of Warren, Watchung, Green Brook, North Plainfield and Plainfield before reaching Perth Amboy. Throughout the area large trees were uprooted by the storm in residential neighborhoods bringing down utility lines. Several homes were damaged by large falling trees.
Traffic on both interstates 78 and 287 were disrupted by trees on the highways. Power outages caused traffic lights to stop operating, causing traffic jams throughout the area.
On Thursday evening Gov. Phil Murphy urged residents to stay home. In a post on X, Murphy said, "I have been briefed on the severe thunderstorm and heavy winds that hit Central Jersey this evening and resulted in fatalities. The towns of Plainfield, North Plainfield, Bound Brook, and Dunellen sustained damage, among others.
"If you're in the area, please stay inside and avoid any downed trees, power lines, or burning transformers. We are in close touch with local mayors and emergency response officials to provide support."
The North Plainfield Community Center on Greenbrook also opened as an emergency center. The mayor has also declared a state of emergency in the borough.
The South Plainfield Office of Emergency Management has opened the courtroom in Borough Hall for residents who need to charge phones and devices.
The Somerset County Park Commission closed Warrenbrook Golf Course in Warren on July 4, one of the busiest days of the season, because of severe damage.
The heat and humidity in Central Jersey over the past two weeks has ended with the passage of the cold front ushered by the severe storms.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Death toll rises to three in violent storm in Central Jersey