Newark was pummeled by more than eight inches of rain overnight. Police say they rescued 485 people who were stuck in flood waters and moved another 185 abandoned cars. But some streets remain flooded on Thursday and residents said they couldn't get to work or pick up food.

Luis Barahona, 44, was pumping at least three feet of water out of his son's basement room. He said while his Ironbound neighborhood typically floods, he doesn't remember it ever being this bad.

"I remember Sandy was one of the worst hurricanes that we had but right now this is the worst I've seen it," he said. 

He said the waters ruined the bed, furniture, cabinets, and his washer and dryer.

"The pump was keeping up pretty good but when the water start coming in through the walls, that was it," he said. 

Neighboring communities were also devastated by flooding, including Jersey City and Elizabeth, where four people died in a flooded apartment complex.