What started as a rainy evening turned into a life-threatening deluge across parts of New York and New Jersey Monday night.
It left two people dead and sparked a state of emergency.
In Plainfield, NJ, floodwaters swept away a car, killing both occupants, Governor Phil Murphy confirmed Tuesday.
In nearby Scotch Plains, rescuers used ropes to pull a man from his submerged vehicle.
“We saw over six inches of rain fall in just hours,” Murphy said.
What Happened There?
The chaos didn’t stop there. Subways in New York City turned into makeshift swimming pools, with water gushing into stations and even subway cars.
Riders were forced to kneel on seats to avoid getting soaked.
The city experienced its second-highest hourly rainfall in over 80 years—two inches in just 30 minutes.
Air travel took a hit, too, with delays and cancellations at Newark Liberty International Airport.
Roads turned to rivers, trapping drivers and shutting down major routes across the region.
The National Weather Service warned of more storms ahead, with additional flood risks looming for the Northeast, Midwest, and even Florida.
Coming just weeks after deadly flooding in Texas, the message is clear: the climate isn’t waiting—and neither should we when it comes to preparation.
