State officials are reporting multiple deaths as a result of Thursday’s powerful thunderstorms that swept through the tri-state, hitting parts of New Jersey particularly hard on the eve of the Fourth of July holiday.

Despite much of New York City being spared, storm reports showed damage from Connecticut into Central Jersey. In New Jersey, Middlesex, Somerset and Sussex counties appeared to have taken the brunt of the storms.

Gov. Phil Murphy said that the severe storms had resulted in fatalities.

“The towns of Plainfield, North Plainfield, Bound Brook, and Dunellen sustained damage, among others. If you’re in the area, please stay inside and avoid any downed trees, power lines, or burning transformers. We are in close touch with local mayors and emergency response officials to provide support,” Murphy said on social media.

The areas of North Plainfield and South Plainfield had multiple reports of downed trees and wires. The mayor of Plainfield, Adrian Mapp, declared a state of emergency in the aftermath of the storms. Residents were urged to avoid driving and stay indoors as much as possible.

North Plainfield’s mayor, Lawrence La Ronde, confirmed the town had one death as a result of the storms. Two men, ages 79 and 25, were killed in Plainfield when a tree fell on top of their car, city officials reported.

Almost 44,000 energy customers were in the dark in New York state at 6 a.m., as well as 24,000 in New Jersey.

“The devastating storm that struck our city has left deep scars, widespread damage, and thousands still without power,” Mayor Mapp said in a statement on Facebook.

“In light of this tragedy we cannot, in all good conscience proceed with our Fourth of July parade, concert, or fireworks,” he added.

Ron Virgilio

Ron Virgilio

There were a few reports of damage from the storms in NYC: On Staten Island, large trees came down on Christopher Lane near Croton Place and on Cromer Street in Annadale.

While the rest of the city was spared from the wind and rain (parts of Manhattan didn’t see any rain at all), there were heavy downpours on Long Island. A tree fell onto Long Island Rail Road tracks heading out to the Hamptons, forcing trains to be held for some time after 8:30 p.m.

Approximately 10,400 customers lost power in Rockland County’s Clarkstown, police said.

In Connecticut’s Fairfield County, a tree fell on a car with people inside on White Plains Road in Trumbull, near the Merritt Parkway. One person was injured.

In Norwalk, a tree fell onto power lines and blocked traffic on Bayne Street, police said.

There were also reports of damage and severe weather in Dutchess, Sullivan and Ulster counties in New York north of I-84. Near Fishkill, there were more than 2,000 people who lost power.

NYC-area airports all had ground delays or ground stops as the storms hit in the evening. Newark Airport and JFK Airport both had ground delays of more than two hours, while LaGuardia had full ground stop for some time, leading to departure delays of an hour and a half.

The damages came as a result of storms that triggered severe thunderstorm warnings for much of the tri-state during the early evening hours, putting a damper on those looking to get a head start on travel or celebrations. Check the latest weather alerts for your neighborhood.

The storms did not come out of nowhere, as they had been developing in Upstate New York and central Pennsylvania during the afternoon. The entire New York City area was under a thunderstorm watch for hours, with the exception of Ocean County in New Jersey. That meant atmospheric conditions were favorable for severe weather, even if severe weather wasn’t necessarily occurring at the moment.

The good news: Now that the storms have moved on, it’s smooth sailing for the holiday weekend and beyond.