A group of powerful thunderstorms packing strong winds toppled trees and knocked out power for thousands of people Thursday night in New Jersey, with the Plainfield area taking a bit hit.
In Plainfield, one of the municipalities with the most damage, Mayor Adrian Mapp posted a notice on the city’s Facebook page saying a state of emergency had been declared in the city.
“Today on July 3, 2025, an emergency was created by extremely severe weather conditions,” the notice read. “This state of emergency shall remain in effect until further notice.”
A tree fell on a car on Myrtle Avenue and there was widespread damage throughout the city due to fallen trees, said Jazz Clayton-Hunt, the city’s Director of Communications and Technology. He added that many residents were without power.
All the city activities planned for Friday, including a Fourth of July parade, concert and fireworks, were cancelled, Clayton-Hunt said.
In South Plainfield, there was extensive damage on the north side of town, according to a Facebook post by the South Plainfield Police Department around 7:30 p.m.
“There are a number of trees, poles, and wires down across roadways, yards, and homes,” the department said. “Do not attempt to move or drive over wires as some could still be live. Do not drive through closed roads.”
Police said that PSEG was working to restore power and clear wires, but cautioned that the work may take several hours.
In one incident in South Plainfield, a tree and some wires fell on top of a car and trapped people inside, according to the National Weather Service Mount Holly.
Police have not released any information about that specific incident.
In North Plainfield, the borough’s office of emergency management posted on its Facebook page around 8 p.m. that emergency services were responding to numerous calls.
“Please stay indoors and only report emergencies,” the office said.
The National Weather Service reported that trees were down throughout the borough due to thunderstorm damage.
The National Weather Service had issued multiple severe thunderstorm warnings for Thursday evening. Thirteen counties were also under a severe thunderstorm watch but that expired around 7:30 p.m. as the storms moved out of the area.
Some of storm cells were capable of generating powerful gusty winds up to 60 mph, small hail and heavy downpours, the service said earlier Thursday.
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Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com.
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