Two die trying to escape biblical New Jersey floods that turned roads into rivers in a matter of seconds

Daily Mail​

15-07-2025

Two women were killed in the violent overnight flash floods that wreaked havoc on New Jersey and New York City on Monday night.
The victims were trapped in their car as rain water rushed through the streets of Plainfield - shoving them into the Cedar Brook.
Witnesses told ABC 7 the forceful flooding dragged the car side to side before launching it off into the brook, which was designed to catch the city's flood water.
One man recalled to the outlet that one of the women was hear shouting 'I don't want to die!'
A quick-thing bystander reportedly smashed one of the car's windows and tried to pull them to safety - but his efforts were in vain, as he was no match for the surge.
Once first responders were able to retrieve their bodies, both women were pronounced dead at the scene.
'It was so flooded it was like a river going through, and I've never seen anything like this before,' one local resident, Theresa Lee, told ABC 7.
Little information about their deaths have been shared by police, but the Daily Mail has reached out for further information and confirmation on the identities.
North Plainfield police officers and first responders had to trek through water up to their chests to save more than 40 people who were swept away by the storm.
Authorities also said that anywhere from 30 to 50 vehicles were wiped out and destroyed during the floods the National Weather Service (NWS) warned could be 'life-threatening.'
One home in North Plainfield had even exploded during the floods after its gas line erupted.
Firefighters arrived to the home completely up in flames as the rushed inside to save its four occupants.
No injuries were reported and the residents were safely evacuated, ABC 7 reported.
Three other nearby homes were also evacuated for problems with their foundations related to the storm surge.
The flood's eerie aftermath was apparent on Tuesday morning, with roads wrecked, homes damaged, pieces of pavement missing and debris scattered throughout the shaken city.
In some areas, the streets more closely resembled rivers than roads - with dead fish washed up on the asphalt after the rain subsided.
Governor Phil Murphy has declared a state of emergency, as neighborhoods across Union, Essex and Somerset Counties were also impacted by the intense downpour.
These two fatalities come less than two weeks after two men died in Plainfield when a tree fell on top of their car during a powerful storm on July 3.
The victims were Rocco Sansone, 79, and Brian Ernesto Valladares, 25.
'To lose four residents in such a short span of time is unimaginable,' Plainfield Mayor Adrian Mapp said in a statement.
'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.'
NYC also faced the brunt of the severe thunderstorms - which caused astonishing flooding across all five boroughs.
The NWS raised the alarm on Monday night as the deluge intensified across the Northeast, prompting major delays at JFK and LaGuardia airports for both departures and arrivals.
Video showed subway cars packed with passengers filling with water as people crouched on the seats to avoid getting soaked.
The floods that rocked New York and New Jersey came about a week after at least 132 people tragically died during a flash flooding event in Texas. At least 101 people are still missing.