A fast-moving line of severe thunderstorms swept across central New Jersey on Thursday night, killing three motorists when uprooted trees crushed their vehicles. City officials said 79-year-old Rocco Sansone of North Plainfield and 25-year-old Brian Ernesto Valladares of Plainfield died on Myrtle Avenue in Plainfield, while a 44-year-old Middlesex County woman was fatally struck in North Plainfield after pulling over on Greenbrook Road. Local mayors confirmed the deaths early Friday. Plainfield and neighboring North Plainfield declared states of emergency after wind gusts estimated at up to 80 mph toppled more than 80 trees, downed power lines and damaged homes. Plainfield canceled its July 4 parade, concert and fireworks, and Gov. Phil Murphy urged residents to avoid downed lines and debris. By dawn, roughly 24,000 customers in New Jersey—and more than 100,000 across the Northeast—remained without electricity, complicating holiday travel and celebrations. The New Jersey outbreak formed part of a wider weather system that brought hail and airport delays from Connecticut to New York and triggered deadly flash flooding in Kerr County, Texas, where officials also reported fatalities. Emergency crews in both states continued cleanup and search-and-rescue operations as forecasters warned of lingering flood risks into the weekend.