Storm dumps rain and hail on Suffolk's North Shore

Several single-cell thunderstorms sprung up across Suffolk's North Shore on Tuesday afternoon — dumping rain and hail on two communities and bringing lightning that destroyed a church computer.

Around 2 p.m. Tuesday, thunderstorms poured rain and tossed quarter-inch hail over Wading River and Rocky Point, said Dave Radell, National Weather Service meteorologist in Upton. The storms hovered for about 20 minutes before moving offshore and into the Long Island Sound.

Lightning touchdowns were reported across the area, including outside Saint Anselm’s Academy preschool and day care on Woodville Road in Shoreham.

Dani O’Connor, the academy’s director, said all the children took shelter when the rain picked up and the weather started to get bad. Some workers who remained in the office told O'Connor "they saw a flash of lightning and heard a pop."

Smoke was seen coming from under an office desk, O'Connor said, and an electrician determined an electrical surge had fried a computer.

The fire department responded and shut off all electricity to the building when smoke was seen, said O'Connor who was not at work when the lightning hit.

No further damage was reported at Saint Anselm’s and no one was hurt.