2 NJ residents dead after car swept up in flash floods

Two people died in New Jersey when their car was swept away in flash flooding overnight — just weeks after three others were killed in extreme weather in the same area.

The two latest killed, who haven’t yet been identified publicly, were found dead in Plainfield after torrential rain and surging floodwaters battered the tri-state area late Monday.

Their vehicle was swept into Cedar Brook during the height of the storm and first responders were unable to save them, authorities said.

“All of Plainfield grieves this latest loss,” Mayor Adrian O. Mapp said in a statement.

The tragedy unfolded after three people were killed by falling trees as violent storms ripped through central New Jersey on July 3. Two of those, ages 25 and 79, were from Plainfield, while the third was from neighboring North Plainfield.

“To lose four residents in such a short span of time is unimaginable,” Mapp said of the Plainfield deaths. “We mourn with the families, and we remain committed to doing all we can to strengthen our emergency response systems and protect our residents from future harm.”

Over in North Plainfield, a family narrowly escaped when their home caught fire and exploded as the heavy downpours lashed the area.

The family of four had already fled their home on Parkview Avenue due to flash flood warnings before the blast just before 11:30 p.m.

Remnants of the destroyed home could be seen strewn across the street late Monday as flood waters engulfed the roadway.

It wasn’t immediately clear what sparked the explosion but complaints of gas were reported around the neighborhood at the time.

Earlier, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy had declared a state of emergency due to the extreme weather and advised locals to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel.

Most flash flood watches and warnings had expired in parts of the Garden State as the rain moved on overnight, but some roads and streets were still flooded as of early Tuesday.

With Post wires