The roof of a BJ’s Wholesale Club in Ocean Township, New Jersey, partially collapsed on Monday, trapping two people under debris as severe thunderstorms swept the region. According to the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, 27 people were inside the building when the ceiling gave way shortly after 11:15 a.m. local time. The two individuals who were partially entrapped managed to free themselves and exit safely; no injuries were reported. Emergency crews, including urban search and rescue teams and drone operators, cleared the structure.

The storms arrived as the Northeast emerged from a prolonged heatwave that set temperature records and is now the focus of a death investigation. New Jersey Department of Health officials said they are examining at least 25 deaths since 2 July for possible links to the extreme heat. The cases, recorded across ten counties, remain preliminary and unconfirmed pending autopsy results, the department’s communications director told US media. Newark recorded 40.5°C on 2 July, breaking a daily record set in 1966, while LaGuardia Airport in New York hit 40°C on 3 July.

The abrupt shift from heat to heavy rainfall triggered flash flood warnings for parts of New York City, Philadelphia and New Jersey. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who had earlier warned residents about heatstroke, urged those in basement apartments to evacuate if water began rising. Hundreds of flights were cancelled at New York and New Jersey airports, and about 450,000 customers remained without power across the affected states, according to tracking service poweroutage.com.

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden described the roof collapse as a reminder of how quickly severe weather can create dangerous conditions. The investigation into the heat-related deaths is ongoing, and officials have not yet confirmed a final toll. No other states in the region have announced suspected heat fatalities.