Latest news with #Plainfield
CBS News
a day ago
- Climate
- CBS News
New Jersey city where floods wreaked havoc plans concert to benefit victims
As New Jersey community keeps cleaning up after deadly flash floods wreaked havoc, the city is planning a benefit concert this weekend to help families and others devastated by storms. Many families in Plainfield have a long road to recovery after the devastating floods claimed lives and forced people to throw out their possessions. After the city suffered four extreme weather deaths in storms since July 3, workers used heavy equipment to haul away flood victims' belongings Friday. It was difficult for Ruth Arriaza and her family to watch. "I'm trying to be really strong because that's the way we can move forward, but this is really hard," she said. It was the second time in four years that Arriaza's family lost everything in a flood. Hurricane Ida forced them out and cost them $85,000 to rebuild. "Thinking about how long the recovery is going to take, because last time it took nine months before we were back in our house," Emanuel Arriaza said. Friends a coworkers came to help with the cleanup. "Last night, I didn't sleep all night, making lists of what things my friends, my church families coming, and I want to make sure they had something to do," Ruth Arriaza said. The Arriaza family said they're not sure if they'll move back in, even after rebuilding. Many of their neighbors have to rebuild, including some who were just grateful to survive the floods. "We was trapped there. The whole block was under water," Theresa Gates-Ford said. "I lost a lot of material things that can be replaced. However, there's two families right now preparing for a funeral. So I'm blessed we are still here." Hundreds of homes were damaged, including Assemblywoman Linda Carter's. "It's very heartbreaking because the city has lost four individuals over the last couple of weeks from these storms," Carter said. Plainfield Mayor Adrian O. Mapp said the city will hold a benefit concert at Plainfield High School to raise money for those who need it most. "The level of devastation that I've seen across this city is something that I've not seen since living in Plainfield in 1979," Mapp said. The concert will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. It will be open to the public. The mayor said many performers volunteered their time in order to raise money.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Two people killed in flash flooding in New Jersey
PLAINFIELD, N.J. (PIX11) — Following flash flooding that swept through New Jersey on Monday, two people were found dead in Plainfield, according to the city's office of communications. The two victims were in their vehicle when it was swept up during the height of the storm, a post from the city's Facebook page announced. They were both pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. More Local News 'All of Plainfield grieved this latest loss,' said Mayor Adrian O. Mapp. '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.' A state of emergency was declared in New Jersey due to expected high levels of rainfall and flash flooding throughout the state, Governor Phil Murphy announced on Monday. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State At least one to two inches of rain per hour drenched the garden state, according to the National Weather Service. Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
3 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Plainfield, New Jersey, flood victim identified as school district employee Lubia Estevez
One of the two people who died in Plainfield, New Jersey, during Monday's intense storms has been identified as a beloved member of the local school district. Lubia Estevez, 60, worked as a food services cashier in the Plainfield School District for 15 years. Family members say Estevez was on her way to bingo when tragedy struck. Police say Estevez and friend Forest Whitlock were in a vehicle traveling along Stelle Avenue when they made a turn, ended up in a ditch and were ultimately pulled into the Cedar Brook by raging water. It all happened just around the corner from Plainfield High School, where Estevez worked. Co-workers say the terrible news has shocked the community. "Everybody been calling us, just telling us they are sorry for the family, for us. We are her family. My staff members, everybody was hurt this morning," food service director Kiesha Mack said. Friends, colleagues and family say she was well-loved and touched so many lives. "Lubia just was a sweet person. Like, she'd do anything to help us no matter what. It's just heartbreaking right now," co-worker Tawanda Miles said. Mack says she will remember Estevez for "her smile ... her bubbly personality, and always willing to help." Chef Andre James knew Estevez for nearly 19 years and worked with her for the past eight years. "She's seen some of these students grow up from kindergarten all the way up to 12th grade," he said. He added, "It's going to be pretty difficult next year when [students] ask about her. Believe it or not, the food service workers, the kids take a lot of pride in them and love them." Originally from the Dominican Republic, her family says Estevez was thrilled to become a citizen in 2016, was a cancer survivor and was coping with her own loss before her death. "She just lost her husband about five months ago. It was difficult for her," James said. James says he set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for funeral expenses. So far, he's raised over $7,000. "I wanted to make sure she has a proper burial," he said.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
'More frequency and more intensity': Gov. Phil Murphy speaks after storms kill 2
After torrential rains and thunderstorms left at least two dead on July 14, Gov. Phil Murphy said that as of July 15, state officials were not aware of any other loss of life in the state. 'We're seeing more of this — more frequency and more intensity,' Murphy said. 'This clearly was a significant weather event.' The governor said he had been in touch with the White House about the storm damage and encouraged residents to contact their local counties. Given that New Jersey is in 'one of these high humidity, high temperature, high storm intensity patterns right now,' he cautioned everyone to stay alert, because we 'can't take anything for granted.' Murphy also noted that during his time in office there have been more deaths related to water emergencies than to any other weather pattern, and he's not sure if it's because people believe they can 'beat water.' 'I know I can't beat a tornado, I know I shouldn't touch a downed power line, but my vehicle can make it through water, or I can stay in my house, and people have paid with their lives because of it,' he said, suggesting residents' possible thinking. At least two people were killed as heavy summer storms swept across North and Central Jersey on July 14, bringing flash floods, road closures and power outages. As of midday on July 15, parts of Middlesex and Somerset counties were still under a flood warning. Flash flooding led to at least two deaths. Plainfield officials confirmed on social media that a car had been swept into Cedar Brook during the height of the storm and both people were pronounced dead at the scene. More: How much rain did NJ get on July 14? See rain totals It was the second time this month that Plainfield saw fatalities in the wake of a storm. Two others were killed in a storm on July 3. There was damage beyond Plainfield, though. The state will need time to clear the debris and fix damaged roadways. As such, Route 22 eastbound was closed for repairs caused by flooding in Green Brook, in Somerset County. The governor declared a state of emergency for all 21 counties as a result of the heavy rains and possibility of flooding on Monday night and advised residents to avoid unnecessary travel. More than 8,000 New Jersey residents initially lost power, but crews worked to restore service throughout the state, and by Tuesday morning there were fewer than 3,000 outages. Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@ This article originally appeared on Phil Murphy speaks NJ storms July 14
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
What happened in Central Jersey? Flash floods leave two dead in Plainfield on July 14
At least two people were killed as heavy rainfall swept across North and Central Jersey on July 14, bringing flash floods, road closures and power outages. Much of the state faced a flash flood warning for at least part of Monday and a flash flood watch through midnight. As of the morning of July 15, parts of Middlesex and Somerset counties were still under a flood warning, with the National Weather Service advising residents of continued flooding as numerous roads remained closed. Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency for New Jersey on Monday evening, writing in a post on X, "We are experiencing heavy rainfall and flash flooding across the state. Please stay off the roads and monitor local forecasts." While flooding was reported from all over the state, it was particularly high along the Route 22 corridor in Central Jersey. Watchung, Plainfield, North Plainfield and Somerville were some of the hardest-hit communities. Story continues below photo gallery. In a press release posted to Facebook on the morning of July 15, officials from the city of Plainfield confirmed that two individuals were killed during the flash flooding. The release said preliminary reports found that a vehicle was swept into Cedar Brook during the height of the storm. Emergency personnel responded quickly, but both people in the vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene. The identities of the victims were being withheld pending notification of their families, the release said. In response to storm-related damage, city officials said all city pools and parks would be closed July 15 and services at the Plainfield Senior Center would be suspended. A citywide plan was in development to assist residents with post-storm cleanup. "The City of Plainfield continues to assess conditions across affected neighborhoods," reads the release. "Residents are encouraged to stay tuned to official communication channels, including the city website, social media pages, and robocall system, for updates on recovery efforts, service restoration and support resources." We're flooded in Plainfield byu/Worldly-Jellyfish-88 innewjersey Scenes of floating cars, dramatic rescues and flooded roads could be seen all over social media as of Tuesday morning. Route 22 in North Plainfield and Route 28 in Middlesex both remained closed so crews could clear debris and make emergency roadway repairs. The Plainfield Area Humane Society was left with nothing after its entire shelter flooded during Monday night's storms. "Our director, shelter manager, a board member and volunteer were able to swim through debris to get inside and check on the animals. They were sitting in darkness with water quickly filling their cages, many were already chest deep in the flood," reads a post from the Plainfield Area Humane Society on Facebook. "Despite the chaos, all animals were able to be moved to higher ground and are safe." However, the shelter was left with no food, bedding, litter or supplies of any kind. For information on how to donate to the shelter, visit the Humane Society's website at The damage came just days after a severe storm struck Plainfield on July 3, leading to more than 80 downed trees, widespread power outages and the death of two others, who were killed when a tree fell on the vehicle they were traveling in. "All of Plainfield grieves this latest loss," Mayor Adrian O. Mapp said on July 15. "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 harm." North Plainfield also saw a fatality due to a downed tree during the July 3 storm. Flooding has been a recurring issue in the region for decades. As reported by My Central Jersey, the flood of 1973 ravaged the area. Two years before, in 1971, Tropical Storm Doria brought heavy rains and flood levels that remained records until Hurricane Floyd in 1999. This article originally appeared on Flash flooding in Central Jersey leaves two dead July 14
