Plainfield mayor declares state of emergency after deadly storms
Mayor Adrian Mapp declared a state of emergency, canceling all Fourth of July parades and fireworks to focus entirely on cleanup and recovery.
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Ferocious winds, gusting between 60 and 80 mph and ripped through Central New Jersey during Thursday night's storms. In Plainfield, more than 80 trees were knocked down; vehicles and homes were crushed. And unfortunately, lives were lost.
'The cops came, and they said that my brother was crushed by the tree,' said Gigi Neil.
Her brother, 79-year-old Rocco Sanson, is among at least three people who were killed by trees falling on top of their vehicles. The two siblings had been living in their house together for 56 years. She told PIX11 News that Sanson had stepped out to get some groceries.
'Now I lost my brother and words can't be saying. Last night I went to bed, I left the lights on and he never came home,' added Neil.
According to Plainfield Authorities, the other two fatal victims are 25-year-old Brian Ernesto Valladares and a 44-year-old woman from Middlesex.
'Lady died right down house down the road, on Greenbrook Road. She was trying to get out and a tree fell down on her car,' said resident Patrick Carotenuto.
With more than 8,000 customers left in the dark in Union County, PSE&G worked around the clock to restore services.
More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State
'It was terrifying because they called me at work, I didn't know what to do or say because my daughter screaming,' said Harvenell Jackson.
German Bano told PIX11 News in Spanish he is devastated and does not know how he is getting to work on Monday. His vehicle, which he purchased 10 months ago, was destroyed by a tree that fell right in the middle.
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