New Jersey flash flooding sparks state of emergency: What we know

Flash flooding hit portions of New Jersey on Monday as Democratic Governor Phil Murphy issued a state of emergency, calling on residents to avoid unnecessary travel and to stay indoors.

Newsweek reached out to the National Weather Service (NWS) via email for comment.

Why It Matters

The declaration marks a critical response to a pattern of increasingly frequent and severe weather events impacting the Northeast, including blistering heat waves.

Murphy’s decision to declare the state of emergency enables emergency agencies to deploy resources more rapidly and coordinate across jurisdictions. The declaration came after the NWS issued multiple flash flood warnings for areas across the state, highlighting the risks posed by sudden heavy rainfall.

Regional emergency declarations are part of a broader trend across the United States this summer, as extreme weather events have produced catastrophic flooding in states including Texas and New Mexico.

What To Know

Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) is under a ground stop until 10 p.m. ET due to the thunderstorms, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Monday. LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in New York is also under a ground stop due to the inclement weather.

Both Essex and Union County in northern New Jersey are under a flash flood warning until 10 p.m. The NWS said on its website: “At 823 PM EDT, local law enforcement reported thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 4.5 and 5.5 inches of rain have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 0.2 to 0.5 inches are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is already occurring.”

The cities that could experience the flash flooding include: Newark, Elizabeth, Plainfield, Linden, Orange, Summit, Millburn, Caldwell, Clark, Fairfield, Union, East Orange, Irvington, West Orange, Montclair, Westfield, Livingston, Rahway, Maplewood and Scotch Plains.

Burlington County in southern New Jersey is also under a flash flood warning until 11:45 p.m. ET, while Monmouth County and Middlesex County in central New Jersey are under a warning until 11:15 p.m. ET, the NWS says.

Bergen County is under a flash flood warning until 9:45 p.m., as is Hudson County.

Videos of the flooding in the Garden State have taken over social media as the weather event unfolds.

This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.