As a New Jersey community keeps cleaning up after deadly flash floods wreaked havoc, the city is planning a benefit concert this weekend to help families and others devastated by the storms. 

Many families in Plainfield have a long road to recovery after the devastating floods claimed lives and forced people to throw out their possessions. 

Plainfield families devastated by latest extreme weather

After the city suffered four extreme weather deaths in storms since July 3, workers used heavy equipment to haul away flood victims' belongings Friday. 

It was difficult for Ruth Arriaza and her family to watch. 

"I'm trying to be really strong because that's the way we can move forward, but this is really hard," she said. 

It was the second time in four years that Arriaza's family lost everything in a flood. Hurricane Ida forced them out and cost them $85,000 to rebuild. 

"Thinking about how long the recovery is going to take, because last time it took nine months before we were back in our house," Emanuel Arriaza said. 

Friends a coworkers came to help with the cleanup. 

"Last night, I didn't sleep all night, making lists of what things my friends, my church families coming, and I want to make sure they had something to do," Ruth Arriaza said. 

The Arriaza family said they're not sure if they'll move back in, even after rebuilding.   

Many of their neighbors have to rebuild, including some who were just grateful to survive the floods. 

"We was trapped there. The whole block was under water," Theresa Gates-Ford said. "I lost a lot of material things that can be replaced. However, there's two families right now preparing for a funeral. So I'm blessed we are still here." 

Hundreds of homes were damaged, including Assemblywoman Linda Carter's. 

"It's very heartbreaking because the city has lost four individuals over the last couple of weeks from these storms," Carter said. 

Concert to benefit flood victims

Plainfield Mayor Adrian O. Mapp said the city will hold a benefit concert at Plainfield High School to raise money for those who need it most. 

"The level of devastation that I've seen across this city is something that I've not seen since living in Plainfield in 1979," Mapp said.

The concert will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. It will be open to the public. 

The mayor said many performers volunteered their time in order to raise money.  

• Plainfield