New Jersey Flash Floods: Viral Videos Show Cars Submerged In Plainfield, Scotch Plains; NJ Transit Faces Major Delays | World News
Torrential rains and intense thunderstorms brought widespread flash flooding in areas of New Jersey on Monday, with stunning videos posted in Plainfield, Scotch Plains, and along Route 22 depicting underwater streets and stranded cars. The intense weather led to a flash flood warning for the Garden State and other parts of the East Coast, resulting in significant disruptions to everyday life and public transportation.
NJ Transit reported delays of up to 40 minutes on its rail service from Penn Station New York to Trenton due to Amtrak signal problems caused by the weather.
National Weather Service (NWS) warned Plainfield and Scotch Plains that thunderstorms were causing 1-2 inches of rain, and another 1-2 inches were anticipated. The 2-inch-per-hour rainfall rates caused “life-threatening flooding” in urban settings, roads, and floodplains.
I am declaring a State of Emergency given flash flooding and high levels of rainfall in parts of the state.
Please stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel. Stay safe, New Jersey.
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) July 14, 2025
Impact In Plainfield And Scotch Plains:
In Plainfield, social media videos, such as those by user @MathieuBlue, captured Route 22 fully underwater with vehicles stranded in floodwaters. Greenbrook Road and many of the side streets also suffered widespread flooding and property damage. PSE&G indicated that around 5,000 customers were left without electricity by Monday night.
One Scotch Plains resident recounted a “deluge of rain” and “severe lightning,” verifying that Route 22 West was shut down because of flash flooding. The severe weather also affected Westfield. Social media posted about the intensity, with one person writing, “MAJOR FLOODING underway in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, with cars underwater right now at Park Avenue @ US-22.”
Plainfield, NJ #thunderstorm #flashflood @DaveCurren @JoeMartWx @News12NJ pic.twitter.com/Gj1NRx0pOk
— Andrew Winters (@weather_winters) July 14, 2025
The heavy flooding comes after last week’s storm on July 3, which unfortunately killed three individuals in Plainfield and prompted Mayor Adrian Mapp to call for a state of emergency. That earlier incident also resulted in initial outages for 45,000 customers.
The authorities are still recommending that people stay off the roads and use extreme caution in flooded locations as the area navigates the effects of the heavy rainfall.
