Flash floods kill 2 people in New Jersey as record rains batter New York

Flash floods triggered by heavy rain killed two people in Plainfield, New Jersey between July 14 and 15, 2025, after their vehicle was swept into Cedar Brook.

A slow-moving cold front, combined with record-high atmospheric moisture levels, triggered severe thunderstorms and flash flooding across the East Coast of the United States between July 14 and the early hours of July 15.

More than 150 mm (6 inches) of rain fell within a few hours, prompting a statewide emergency declaration for New Jersey.

Two fatalities were confirmed in the city of Plainfield, Union County, after a vehicle was swept into Cedar Brook by rapidly rising floodwaters late on July 14. Emergency crews recovered the submerged vehicle early the next morning, and both occupants, two women, were pronounced dead at the scene.

This is the second deadly flood in the region this month. On July 3, three people died, two in Plainfield and one in North Plainfield, when fallen trees and flooding affected central New Jersey during another bout of extreme weather.

New York City recorded its second-wettest hour on record between 19:00 and 20:00 LT on July 14, with 52.6 mm (2.07 inches) of rainfall measured in Central Park, shattering a 117-year-old daily rain record for July 14 set in 1908.

Local emergency services conducted numerous water rescues, including 16 in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, where up to 180 mm (7 inches) of rainfall was reported.

Over 1 200 emergency calls were made in a two-hour period on the evening of July 14. Rescue and recovery efforts continued into the early morning hours of July 15.

New York City’s subway stations, including 28th Street, were inundated, stranding commuters and forcing multiple line closures and delays. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) reported delays and service suspensions across multiple boroughs due to water intrusion.

Heavy rainfall across eastern Pennsylvania, central New Jersey, and southeastern New York occurred at rates exceeding 50 mm (2 inches) per hour. Urban areas experienced rapid runoff and flash flooding, with streets submerged, vehicles stranded, and emergency evacuations initiated.

According to the Weather Prediction Center (WPC), a slow-moving cold front interacting with high precipitable water values was the primary driver of the storm system.

In response to the severe weather, ground stops were issued at major East Coast airports, including John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia (LGA), Newark (EWR), Baltimore-Washington (BWI), and Boston Logan (BOS). Thousands of flights were delayed or canceled due to weather conditions and flash flooding near terminals.

Feature image credit: Ed Krassenstein

Rishav Kothari

I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.

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