Severe storms swept across the Northeast United States on Thursday, bringing heavy rain and strong winds that caused widespread damage and disruption. A possible tornado touched down at Atlantic Beach on Long Island’s outer barrier, tearing apart a major beach club and leaving debris scattered across the shoreline.
Photos and video shared on social media showed the devastating impact of the storm, with broken beach chairs and wood beams littered across the beach. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman declared a state of emergency and reported damage to property, but thankfully no serious injuries or deaths were reported. A search team was dispatched to ensure no one was trapped inside the cabanas.
The storm also caused significant flooding in the region, with dozens of motorists stranded in New Jersey and parts of the Long Island Expressway in Queens closed in both directions. In Jersey City, emergency crews rescued 69 people trapped in cars overtaken by flash flooding, using small inflatable boats to reach those stranded in knee-high water.
A likely tornado also touched down in Dover, Delaware, causing significant damage across the capital city. The police department reported fallen trees, downed power lines, and flooded roads throughout the city, but thankfully no serious injuries were reported. The Delaware Electric Cooperative said over 1,000 customers were left without power, although most outages were fixed within a few hours.
The National Weather Service had previously warned of waterspouts in the area, but was unable to immediately confirm if a tornado landed on the beach. A meteorologist for the weather service in New York said the storm was moving East offshore Thursday evening and was expected to taper off over the next several hours.
The severe weather caused significant disruption across the region, with the Sun and Surf Beach Club temporarily closing its venue and nearby Silver Point. Emergency crews and responders worked tirelessly to assist those stranded and affected by the storms.
