Latest news with #NorthPlainfieldPolice
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
House explodes during New Jersey flooding, nearby homes damaged
A house exploded overnight as flash flooding inundated a New Jersey neighborhood and damaged several nearby homes, officials said. The blast took place about 2:45 a.m. local time on July 15 at a home on Parkview Avenue, a North Plainfield Police Department non-emergency dispatcher confirmed to USA TODAY. The house is in the borough of North Plainfield in Somerset County, not far from the New York state line and about 30 miles from The Big Apple. Footage of the incident shows wooden slats from the front of the home laying flat on the ground with torn siding and other rubble behind it. As of Monday no injuries or fatalities had been reported. According to police Chief Alan McKay, when officers arrived on scene, they found the home fully engulfed in flames. "Luckily the home appears to have been empty and no victims were located," police wrote in a news release. Northeast flooding: Heavy rainfall causes flash flooding in New York City, other major cities New Jersey flash flooding The destruction took place around the same time heavy rainfall hit portions of the state as well as New York City, with videos on social media showing a subway station inundated with floodwaters. Parkview Avenue and other roads and highways in New Jersey experienced high floodwater overnight. The heavy flooding turned most roads including Route 22 into rivers and made them unpassable, police reported, and dozens were rescued from vehicles and homes throughout the borough. Several agencies were dispatched to assist local police including the New Jersey State Police and the Somerset County Dive Team. McKay said about 40 residents were rescued from floodwaters which destroyed countless homes and Red Cross was notified and is responding to assist with food, water and temporary housing, McKay said. Major cities across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic including New York City were hampered by flash flooding after storms knocked out power, closed voluminous roads and prompted water rescues on July 14. According to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Mount Holly, the rain caused flash flooding prompting a state of emergency declaration in New Jersey. In northern New Jersey, forecasters reported between 3 and 6.5 inches of rain fell. The NWS warned more rain was expected on July 15. 'His faith became sight': Megachurch pastor John MacArthur dies What caused a New Jersey home to explode? A preliminary investigation by officials determined the explosion appears to have been the result of a gas leak, police said. Contributing: Jeanine Santucci Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: House explodes in North Plainfield, New Jersey amid flooding
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Two die trying to escape biblical New Jersey floods that turned roads into rivers in a matter of seconds
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.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Yahoo
North Plainfield woman rescued from roof of burning home
NORTH PLAINFIELD – Borough first responders rescued a 27-year-old woman from a fire at her Richard Way home early July 11. Police responded around 1:25 a.m. where they reported the residence engulfed in flames with several residents on the front lawn and were told that one female resident was still inside, on the roof, authorities said. Officers tried to rescue the last resident, Yaritza Perez, from the roof, but firefighters were able to extend a large ladder to the roof and then rescue her, authorities said. All residents, including the family dog, "Mina," made it safely out of the fire, authorities said. Firefighters from the North Plainfield, Plainfield, and Watchung helped put out the blaze, which took hours, police said. The home was destroyed by the fire, authorities said. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, but authorities believe it may have started in the basement. Anyone with information is asked to contact the North Plainfield Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division at 908-769-2922. Email: alewis@ Alexander Lewis is an award-winning reporter and photojournalist whose work spans many topics. This article originally appeared on North Plainfield NJ woman rescued from roof of burning home
