Is NJ still in a state of emergency? Photos, videos capture dramatic rescues, floods in NJ

Yahoo

5 days ago

New Jersey was hit with severe flooding Monday evening, July 14, as videos and photos captured water rescues, floating vehicles and deadlocked traffic on major highways.
Power was knocked out and roadways closed, prompting New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy to declare a state of emergency. In northern New Jersey, over 6.5 inches of rain fell, with risks of flooding continuing through today, July 15. Risks of flooding, thunderstorms and high heat are expected to last through Friday, National Weather Service forecasters said.
As ominous as it sounds, a state of emergency is not meant to alert residents of impending danger; rather, it empowers the governor to speed up resources to local communities hit hard while urging motorists to stay off roadways.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency around 7:30 p.m. on Monday, July 14 due to "flash flooding and high levels of rainfall in parts of the state." The declaration does not "expire," nor does it declare that bad weather is coming; rather, it is a declaration that opens up funding to areas of the state after bad weather hits.
A state of emergency is declared by the governor when they believe a disaster has occurred or may be imminent that would be severe enough to require state aid to supplement local resources in preventing or alleviating damages, loss, hardship or suffering, according to the NJ Office of Emergency Management. The declaration speeds up state agency assistance with county and local public safety officials to provide communities with resources such as shelter, heating, fuel, food and more.
The declaration also activates price-gouging laws to prevent businesses from driving up prices of gas, hotels and supplies, according to officials. The governor urges nonessential drivers to stay off roadways but that doesn't mean motorists will be ticketed for being out.
Areas of the New Jersey Turnpike were inundated with severe flooding, with travelers remarking they came to a "standstill" as rains flooded the highway. Darwin Cooper Jr., a political figure in Cumberland County with over 15,000 followers, posted dramatic video around 7:50 p.m. on July 14, 2025.
CBS New York captured a dramatic water rescue in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, showing a NJ Transit bus, a Yankee bus and Scotch Plains ambulance "stuck in the water." The CBS News reporter said he watched first responders rescue someone from a car, hooking them with a rope and dragging them to safety.
Videos captured of severe flooding in areas near Route 22 in North Plainfield show vehicles floating away and people being rescued. North Jersey Drone Shots, with 30,000 followers on Instagram, captured video of hard-hit areas of New Jersey on July 14 in Green Brook and Warren, from water rescues to waterlogged streets.
Ed Krassenstein, a social media personality with 1 million followers on X, posted video of massive floods in Plainfield, with the caption: "Why are we having so many floods America? Maybe it's time we start taking climate change seriously!" The video had nearly 860,000 views as of Tuesday morning, July 15.
A New Providence, New Jersey homeowner took video of severe flooding in their backyard on July 14, 2025 as the state was hit with drenching thunderstorms.
Lori Comstock is a New Jersey-based journalist with the Mid-Atlantic Connect Team.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Photos, videos capture dramatic NJ water rescues, flooded roads