Message from Mayor Josh Losardo | July 18, 2025

Severe summer storms have wreaked havoc across New Jersey in recent weeks, including right here in Scotch Plains. 

Most recently, on Monday, July 14, our town experienced a devastating storm that brought heavy and sustained rainfall, leading to major flooding in many neighborhoods. The weather was so bad that we were fielding phone calls from the likes of CNN and ABC, seeking information as a national news story.

This flooding disrupted daily life, damaged property, and required numerous and heroic rescues by our first responders, who worked tirelessly to protect lives and ensure the safety of our residents as our town was hit with 6.5 inches of rainfall in just two hours. 

As we watched a current of water travel down Route 22, and water pour down the mountain from Berkely Heights, it was yet another powerful and painful reminder of how vulnerable our community can be to extreme weather and how essential it is to remain prepared.  

At the time of writing this message, we learned that two residents of Plainfield drowned together in a car during the storm – another senseless tragedy at the hands of Mother Nature.

Earlier this month, on Thursday, July 3, another significant storm struck just as residents and municipal staff were heading into the July 4th holiday weekend. That fierce system downed our trees, knocked out our power and flooded our streets. 

Tragically, neighboring communities suffered even greater losses. 

In Plainfield, two residents were killed when a tree fell on their car on Myrtle Avenue, and in North Plainfield, a resident was killed after pulling over during the storm when a tree and live wires hit their vehicle.

Throughout both storms, our first responders – police officers, fire department volunteers, and the Scotch Plains Rescue Squad – and others, including personnel from our Department of Public Works, answered every call for help, carried out rescue operations, and worked through dangerous conditions to keep roads passable and residents safe. 

My colleagues and I inspected the Township the morning after each storm.  We wanted to see the damage firsthand.  On July 4th, we were advised that more than 100,000 electric customers across Union, Middlesex, and Somerset counties were without power, but it was clear that Scotch Plains, while hard hit, had fared somewhat better than neighboring towns. 

Despite the challenging timing, our municipal team, working closely with PSE&G, responded swiftly and tirelessly. PSE&G reported that the July 3 storm alone required replacing or repairing 150 utility poles, installing 80 new transformers, replacing 76,000 feet of electrical wire, and clearing more than 500 hazardous trees across the region. 

Crews from other utilities—Consolidated Edison, Orange & Rockland Utilities, and PSEG-Long Island—also came to help, speeding up restoration efforts.  I am certain many of the same crews worked this week to restore services as well.

I want to extend my sincere gratitude to everyone who worked through these back-to-back crises: our police, fire department volunteers, rescue squad members, DPW crews, and our partners at PSE&G and at the state level. 

Such dedication ensured our community could recover as quickly as possible. And to the residents of Scotch Plains: thank you for your patience, understanding, and the words of encouragement you shared with those on the front lines. It truly makes a difference when these unforeseen emergencies strike at our heart.

These recent storms serve as sobering reminders that severe weather events are becoming more frequent and more intense, and that they carry real consequences for our community. While we know there may be more storms to come this summer, I find reassurance in knowing that we have a coordinated, resilient team prepared and ready to respond.

To help those affected by the storm, the Township is offering free pick-up of storm-related trash. Click here to register. In addition, we hosted the American Red Cross at the high school on Wednesday, providing food, relief supplies, health services and other key services.

Please see these helpful tips from the American Red Cross, which provides guidance on how to remain safe in a thunderstorm. 

Finally, on behalf of the entire Township, I offer our deepest condolences to the families in Plainfield and North Plainfield who lost loved ones in these recent storms. Our hearts remain with them during this difficult time.