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Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Death toll rises to three in violent storm in Central Jersey
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 Death toll rises to three in violent storm in Central Jersey
New York Times
04-07-2025
- Climate
- New York Times
Brief but Violent Storms in New Jersey Leave 3 Dead
Three people were killed in central New Jersey on Thursday night when severe thunderstorms tore down massive trees and electrical lines, leaving thousands without power. The storms struck Thursday evening, shortly after 6 p.m. Powerful winds accompanied heavy rain and left widespread damage, uprooting more than 80 trees and causing power outages that affected about 45,000 people, according to a statement by the authorities. Two men died in the city of Plainfield, N.J., when a tree fell on their vehicle, and a woman died in the borough of North Plainfield when a tree fell on her car, the authorities said. In response, Fourth of July celebrations planned for Friday were canceled in Plainfield, allowing officials to concentrate on the cleanup. 'This is not the time to parade and celebrate,' Adrian O. Mapp, the mayor of Plainfield, said in an interview. 'We have to focus on the emergency at hand and support the impacted families and get normalcy restored as quickly as possible.' Mr. Mapp identified the two male victims in Plainfield as Rocco Sansone, 79, of North Plainfield and Brian Ernesto Valladares, 25, of Plainfield. North Plainfield police had not immediately released the identity of the female victim. Other parts of the country also spent July 4 recovering from powerful storms. High winds, heavy rain and hail lashed parts of southern New England and left many in the region without power on Thursday. In Kerr County, Texas, west of Houston, rain and flooding caused multiple deaths and widespread damage. Authorities in Texas said at least six people had died and others were missing as flood warnings remained in place on Friday. In New Jersey, the storms were brief but violent. Mr. Mapp said the storm that reached his town carried hail and wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour, but was over in five to 10 minutes. Mr. Mapp described huge trees swaying in the gusts and hail slamming against windows. 'It only lasted a short while, but the level of devastation that occurred across our entire city was something we have not seen in decades,' he said. Numerous homes suffered significant damage, Mr. Mapp added. Many of the downed trees were entangled with power lines and outages were widespread. The state's largest utility company, Public Service Electric & Gas, hoped to restore power to most residents by Friday night. Gov. Philip D. Murphy of New Jersey said on social media on Thursday that he had been briefed on the storms and added that they also struck the towns of Bound Brook and Dunellen, among others. He urged residents to 'avoid any downed trees, power lines, or burning transformers.' Skies in central New Jersey are expected to be clear over the weekend, but rain, with the possibility of more thunderstorms, is forecast for Monday and Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.
CBS News
04-07-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Plainfield, New Jersey storms blamed for at least 3 deaths, officials say
Three people were killed when severe thunderstorms swept through New Jersey on Thursday night, officials say. A spokesperson for the city of Plainfield said two men were killed when a tree fell onto a vehicle they were in. The victims have been identified as 79-year-old Rocco Sansone and 29-year-old Brian Ernesto Valladares. "Our hearts are heavy today. This tragedy is a sobering reminder of the power of nature and the fragility of life," Plainfield Mayor Adrian O. Mapp said in a statement. "We mourn with the families and stand ready to support them in every way possible." Sansone's sister said she got the tragic news in the middle of the night. "He was down to earth, he was a good guy. I just miss him," she said. Police in the borough of North Plainfield said a 44-year-old woman from Middlesex was also killed when a tree fell on top of her vehicle. It happened around 6:30 p.m. Thursday as the woman was pulled over on Greenbrook Road. Her name has not been released. Plainfield, N.J. under state of emergency Severe thunderstorms swept through New Jersey on Thursday night, and Gov. Phil Murphy says multiple people were killed. CBS News New York The fast-moving storms brought down trees and power lines, and several towns have reported heavy damage. Plainfield was one of the hardest hit areas, where the mayor declared a state of emergency and canceled all Fourth of July festivities as the community focuses on cleaning up and rebuilding. North Plainfield is also under a state of emergency. "There will be a time when we will celebrate. But now is not the time," said Mapp. "We have to rise to the moment and make sure that we deal with the emergency at hand." Several trees came down along Putnam and Hillside avenues, including one that partially hit a home. It wrecked Donna Lynn's second floor office, but she said she's grateful for the long holiday weekend. "I work from home on Thursdays. I would have been up there working. And I was off yesterday," she said. Severe thunderstorms swept through New Jersey on Thursday night, and Gov. Phil Murphy says multiple people were killed. CBS News New York Many of the toppled trees pulled down power lines and left as many as 8,000 customers without electricity. Roads were blocked off by the debris, and police urged drivers to avoid fallen power lines that were hanging low into the street. "When I got home, I didn't think it was going to be this bad," one resident said Friday morning. "Plainfield's strong, we're going to recover, we're going to help each other recover from this." "We were out here last night cutting down the tree and getting tree limbs out of the road so that, hopefully, first responders could come fast. They see the road is clear, maybe they'll come and do the repairs soon," another resident added. New Jersey facing thousands of power outages Earlier Thursday, Edison and Metuchen saw similar scenes in Middlesex County. Huge trees snapped and littered the streets with their branches. Crews are still working to restore power to people who are stuck in the dark and without air conditioning. PSE&G said it hopes to have customers back online by 10 p.m. Friday. Meanwhile, Gov. Phil Murphy says he's in close touch with local mayors and emergency responders to provide support.
