Atlantic Beach Storm Damage Spurs Nassau Emergency as Tornado Hits Dover

Powerful Northeast storms damage Atlantic Beach and trigger widespread flooding

ATLANTIC BEACH, New York — Heavy rain and powerful winds swept across the Northeast on Thursday, Aug. 20, damaging a popular beach club in Atlantic Beach on Long Island, flooding major roadways in New York City and prompting a state of emergency in Nassau County as emergency crews responded to reports of stranded motorists.

The most dramatic damage on Long Island was reported along Atlantic Beach’s outer barrier, where a possible tornado or waterspout came ashore amid severe weather. Video and photographs posted online showed intense rain, airborne debris and wreckage scattered across the shoreline after the storm tore through the Sun and Surf Beach Club.

The Inwood Fire Department said dozens of cabanas at the club were damaged or destroyed. Broken beach chairs, wood beams and other debris were left strewn across the beach following the storm.

Inwood Fire Chief Josiyah Green said no one was trapped inside the damaged cabanas and responders did not have to rescue anyone at the beach club. Green said the outcome was fortunate given the site’s usual summer crowds.

“Best I can call it is luck,” Green said. “Just by the grace of luck that a lot of people weren't hurt here because this beach club is a very popular place during the summer.”

Nassau County declares emergency as flooding affects drivers

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman declared a state of emergency as the storms moved through the area. Blakeman said authorities had received reports of people trapped in vehicles by flooding on the South Shore and that first responders were assisting with rescues.

The National Weather Service had warned that waterspouts were possible in the region. Waterspouts are rotating columns of air over water that can produce tornado-like hazards if they move onto land. Weather Service meteorologist Bryan Ramsey said Thursday evening that the storm system was moving east and offshore and was expected to diminish over the following hours.

In Queens, flooding forced the closure of part of the Long Island Expressway in both directions, according to New York City Emergency Management. Images from the scene showed lines of stopped vehicles as emergency personnel moved through standing water.

Confirmed tornado causes damage in Dover, Delaware

The same storm system also produced a confirmed tornado in Dover, Delaware, where the National Weather Service said the tornado touched down shortly after 6 p.m. local time. Dover police reported significant damage across the city, though officials said no injuries had been reported.

Parts of the roofs at the Days Inn and Super Lodge were either torn away or collapsed, according to CBS News Philadelphia. Doors, walls and other sections of the properties were also damaged. Police Lt. Mark Hoffman said the pattern and extent of destruction appeared consistent with tornado damage.

Guests at the Days Inn described seeking shelter as the weather intensified. Kuimonie Goins, who was staying at the hotel with her family, told CBS Philadelphia that they saw pieces of buildings flying before running to a bathroom for safety.

Fallen trees, downed power lines and flooded roads were reported in Dover, while the Delaware Electric Cooperative said more than 1,000 customers in the northern part of its service territory lost electricity. Flash flood warnings also remained in effect Thursday for parts of eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Authorities were continuing damage assessments in affected communities, and no injuries had been reported in Dover as of the latest official update.