A waterspout that developed off Long Island’s South Shore moved onto land Thursday evening, causing extensive damage at beach clubs in Atlantic Beach as powerful storms swept across Nassau County.
The National Weather Service said it was reviewing radar data, photographs and damage reports involving two waterspouts that may have come ashore in southern Queens and Nassau County between about 6:30 and 7 p.m. The second circulation, which reached Atlantic Beach, appeared to remain active longer after moving inland.
Beach clubs hit by tornado-like winds
The storm damaged the Sun and Surf Beach Club and Silver Point Beach Club, tearing apart cabanas and sending roofing materials, wooden beams and patio furniture across the beach.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said emergency crews were searching the damaged structures to make sure nobody was trapped.
“There is property damage at Silver Point Beach Club and Sun and Surf that is being assessed right now, and a search team has been mobilized to make sure no one is trapped within the cabanas,” Blakeman said, according to The Post.
Nassau County later declared a state of emergency as crews assessed the storm damage.
Witness recalls terrifying moment
Matthew Stark, 28, was at Sun and Surf with nine relatives when the storm suddenly intensified. The group had taken shelter inside a wooden cabana as torrential rain fell.
“As I was closing the door to the cabana, you heard and felt the whoosh of the gusts of wind, and it ripped the roof right off, blew all the debris, and stuff just started falling on us — the roof and the beams,” Stark told the New York Post.
“I’ve never felt or experienced anything like that, kind of surreal. One second, it’s like no big deal. The next second, everything was turned upside down, quite literally,” Stark said.
Tornado warning and flooding
A tornado warning was issued for portions of Nassau County and Queens, including Oceanside and Baldwin Harbor, around the time of the Atlantic Beach damage.
Heavy rain also caused widespread flooding across Long Island, with some motorists reportedly becoming trapped in flooded vehicles. The severe weather brought dangerous conditions to roads and coastal communities as the storm system moved through the region.
Officials said there were no initial reports of fatalities or serious injuries from the Atlantic Beach incident. The National Weather Service planned to continue its investigation before issuing a final determination on whether the event should officially be classified as a tornado after the waterspout came ashore.
