At least three people were killed when severe thunderstorms swept through New Jersey on Thursday night, officials say.

Plainfield officials say two men, ages 25 and 79, were killed when a tree fell onto a car they were in. Their names have not been released. 

"Our hearts are heavy today. This tragedy is a sobering reminder of the power of nature and the fragility of life," Plainfield Mayor Adrian O. Mapp said in a statement. "We mourn with the families and stand ready to support them in every way possible."

Another person was killed in the borough of North Plainfield, according to fire officials. No other details have been provided. 

The fast-moving storms brought down trees and power lines, and several towns have reported heavy damage. 

Plainfield was one of the hardest hit areas, where the mayor has declared a state of emergency and canceled all Fourth of July festivities as the community focuses on cleaning up and rebuilding. North Plainfield is also under a state of emergency. 

Several trees are down along Putnam and Hillside avenues, including one that partially hit a home. Many of the toppled trees pulled down power lines and left as many as 8,000 customers without electricity. 

Roads are blocked off by the debris, and police have been making sure drivers avoid fallen power lines that are hanging low into the street. 

"When I got home, I didn't think it was going to be this bad," one resident said Friday morning. "Plainfield's strong, we're going to recover, we're going to help each other recover from this." 

"We were out here last night cutting down the tree and getting tree limbs out of the road so that, hopefully, first responders could come fast. They see the road is clear, maybe they'll come and do the repairs soon," another resident added. 

Earlier Thursday, Edison and Metuchen saw similar scenes in Middlesex County. Huge trees snapped and littered the streets with branches. 

Crews are working to restore power to people stuck in the dark and without air conditioning, and PSE&G says it's hoping to have customers back online by 10 p.m. Friday. 

Meanwhile, Gov. Phil Murphy has said he's in close touch with local mayors and emergency responders to provide support.