Latest updates: Picking up the pieces after tornado strikes Atlantic Beach

Tornado struck with winds between 60 and 112 mph

The waterspout turned tornado that made landfall at Atlantic Beach had winds between 60 and 112 mph and it was one of three waterspouts off the shoreline, the National Weather Service said Friday. 

"We actually saw three distinct circulations on radar," Nelson Vaz, warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said.

He said one waterspout was reported near Queens and the Rockaways, but no damage was reported. He said another circular waterspout was reported farther east, but there was no evidence of damage.

"It was really kind of that middle circulation that came almost right across the inlet from a northwest to southeast direction," Vaz said. "This is the one that did produce some of that damage. So as it stands right now, there could have been some interaction between a couple of those circulations, which helped steer this one across here."

The weather service issued a pair of tornado warnings beginning at about 6:44 p.m., showing a rotating storm that could lead to a tornado, Vaz said.

Vaz led a team of meteorologists to tour damage at the Sun & Surf Beach Club Friday in addition to reviewing eyewitness reports and videos sent online.

"We saw the damage reports from here that really confirmed that there was damage that occurred from these circulations, and we were able to determine just from the damage reports, from the radar, from the webcams, that there was a waterspout that did occur along the southeastern Rockaway beachfront," Vaz said.

"We saw it make landfall. Saw the sand actually coming up on the beach. As soon as that waterspout makes landfall on land, that is a tornado. So we're able to determine the tornado," Vaz said.

The tornado was considered an EF0-EF1 on the tornado strength scale. The final  determination was expected later today. The tornado is relatively weak on the meteorological scale, but strong enough to cause structural damage.

"Certainly nothing that we're seeing that is a very strong tornado, but keep in mind these cabanas were built in the 1940s and '50s, so they are older structures, but that is kind of one of the telling factors in terms of the strength of the winds," Vaz said.

The path of damage also showed several vehicles and fencing damaged on the north side of the parking lot before striking the beach club, Vaz said.

"In general, you're not going to get much lead time with these type of water spouts. They're weak. They're brief spin-ups. They can spin up and spin down very quickly," Vaz said. "So if we can get a few minutes of lead time, that is really what we're trying to shoot for with these type of weak tornadoes."

He said tornadoes are not common on Long Island, but can often form as waterspouts. Waterspouts form the same way as tornadoes with the right moisture and wind conditions.

The funnel clouds are often easier to form over water with less friction than on land, he said.

"For Long Island, sometimes that is the way we get tornadoes. There's actually water spouts coming onto land, and when they come onto land, they are tornadoes," Vaz said. "For our area, it is not common to have a tornado. Maybe once every few years that we will see a tornado in our area... But if they're going to occur, they're going to occur this time of year, August into September, when we do have the warmest water temperatures, which are fueled for these rotating type of thunderstorms."

Rep. Gillen, who's a club member, came to see the destruction

Elected officials toured the damage at Sun & Surf Beach Club in Atlantic Beach Friday and called for measures to help protect from future storms.

Rep. Laura Gillen (D-Rockville Centre) who is also a member of the beach club, toured the damage Friday morning and called for a federal study of storm protection needed in Atlantic Beach.

“It's hard to believe that something like this could happen. You never hear of a tornado hitting Long Island, and then just to see this devastation,” Gillen said.

“Working on hardening our shorelines and preventing coastal erosion and preparing for the impact of severe weather, which we've seen over the last decade, is something that I was really focused on in the town of Hempstead, and I remain focused in my work on the transportation and infrastructure committee,” she said

“We know that when it comes to these severe weather events like Superstorm Sandy, it's not a question of if, it's just a question of when,” Gillen said. “So we need to do everything we can to prepare for that. And I think this is a stark reminder.”

State Sen. Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick (R-Malverne) toured the damage and spoke with meteorologists about the storm.

“This was an unpredictable storm and I don't know if you can prevent a tornado,” Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said. “We need to look at how we can protect beach clubs like this and review the studies and consult with the professionals.”

Workers remove debris and stories emerge from night of 'chaos'

Work crews at Sun & Surf Beach Club in Atlantic Beach, including cabana staff, began cleaning up debris, including tossing large boards and pieces of siding onto the beach.

The tornado tossed wood, plaster, beach chairs, toys and personal belongings from cabanas.

Emergency officials said they searched every cabana twice Thursday night and club patrons were evacuated to make sure no one was trapped or seriously injured.

Nassau Chief Fire Marshal Mike Uttaro said firefighters arrived quickly after the tornado hit.

"You know the key is that we're not used to tornadoes out here," Uttaro said. "So we're very lucky."

As the rain picked up, many club members drove away, but others huddled in their cabanas waiting for the storm to pass.

Chris Nappi, the club's food and beverage manager, said one family was sheltering six kids in a cabana while they held the doors shut. He said the roof of the cabana had started to lift but stopped as the storm ebbed.

Nappi said the club's dining room doors were shaking as the storm passed.

"It was definitely traumatic. There was a lot of chaos, just not really knowing what was going on," Nappi said. "I just kind of ran out and headed down into the club and just saw the disaster. We just started basically climbing over the debris and yelling and making sure if there was anybody around to see if they were OK."

Beach club members evacuated before tornado hit

This was not the first time a tornado struck the Sun & Surf Beach Club in Atlantic Beach, but Thursday's storm caused the most damage, including during Superstorm Sandy, beach club president Bill Baumert said.

Another tornado stuck a nearby beach club about 30 years ago, destroying several cabanas, he said.

"They had a lot of damage too, but we built it back and we were we were back and for 30 years, we operated without God interfering," Baumert said. "We will bounce back, and everybody will be happy again. I hope, anyway."

The beach club was hosting a party with between 200 and 300 people shortly before the storm hit Thursday night and club members had started to evacuate before the tornado struck, fire officials said.

The Sun & Surf Club has about 600 families and 150 single members, Baumert said.

He said it's a miracle no one was hurt.

"It's hard to believe when you when you look around this place and you see these huge pieces of ... structures laying across things and a lot of people were here ... and nobody got hurt," Baumert said. "It all happened so fast. It was here and gone in a minute, but we're all here, and hopefully we'll be here next week."

While cleaning up the wreckage Friday, the club was going through structural inspections by county officials and fire marshals.

Baumert said he hoped to open the club at least partially, even if 30% of cabana owners can't return this year, it would be better than shuttering the club until next summer.

"It'd be very disappointing for a lot of people," Baumert said. "Not everything here was destroyed. We've got a good basis for what we had."

Increase in power outages reported

As of 9:15 a.m. Friday PSEG Long Island was reporting an increase in power outages, with 1,143 customers now without service — up from 797 earlier in the morning. The new numbers appear to be the result of new outages reported in the area of Rocky Point Yapank Road / Hallock Landing Road and North Country Road-Route 25A in Rocky Point. The utility is now reporting more than 550 customers without electric service in the area — and said crews are assessing the damage and hope to have power restored in the early afternoon.

Other previously reported repairs appear to be on track.

Meanwhile, the Long Island Rail Road is reporting no current delays, and there appear to be no major delays on area roads. Kennedy and LaGuardia, have reported no significant increase in delayed and canceled flights, and Long Island MacArthur Airport was reporting one delayed flight.

'We're going to be back': 2 beach clubs hit by tornado close for repairs

The Sun & Surf and Silver Point beach clubs in Atlantic Beach announced Friday they will close until further notice after being damaged in Thursday night's tornado.

A statement issued to members Friday morning said, "We are working with local authorities and are assessing the damage to ensure both clubs are safe before reopening. It also asked members not to enter the beach clubs until an all-clear is issued.

At Sun & Surf, the tornado destroyed about 50 of the beach club's 360 cabanas, officials said.

Also hit were the employee quarters, beach club president Bill Baumert said.

He said the club hoped to at least partially re-open by Labor Day, as long as it could be deemed safe.

"We're going to be back, and everything's going to be like it was," Baumert said. "I hope that the club will certainly be reopened before Labor Day. Of course it's a safety consideration.

Baumert said the roof of a cabana had been sheared off during a storm. Crews swept up the wreckage, including pieces of wood and plaster they removed with wheelbarrows and payloaders.

"If that roof shed fell on us right now, we'd all be statistics," Baumert said. "But I just want everybody to know that we're going to give everything we can to get us ready and back the way we were."

Suffolk escapes serious storm damage

Suffolk County appeared to be spared the worst of the storm, according to county officials.

There were no reports of damage; localized flooding has receded, officials said.

"Two short years after the last August storm that left a path of destruction to homes and roadways, we are again reminded that these weather events are becoming more common," County Executive Edward P. Romaine said in a statement. "This time, Suffolk County dodged the brunt of another violent summer storm. We continue to storm harden our infrastructure and always emphasize the importance of preparation for all residents."

Tornadoes 'not something you can prepare for,' county exec says at damaged beach club

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said police and fire marshals were cleaning up and assessing damage on Friday after a tornado tore through the Sun & Surf Beach Club in Atlantic Beach the night before.

Speaking at a news conference at the beach club, Blakeman said one person was in a cabana when the tornado ripped the roof off, but the club was mostly deserted. Police searched all the cabanas to make sure no one was trapped.

First responders had to sift through debris after the tornado ripped through the club ”within minutes,” Blakeman said.

“It was a dangerous scene,” Blakeman said. “They didn't know what they were walking into.

The tornado damaged about 50 cabanas, but officials did not have a total damage estimate.

The tornado touched down at about 7:10 p.m. on Thursday, causing extensive damage and knocking down large wooden beams.

“Right now this beach club will be closed and determined on a day-by-day basis if it will be able to open again this summer,” Blakeman said.

“Tornadoes are not something you can prepare for. Tornadoes start in an instant,” he said. “It started over the ocean and came over the beach club. We're very fortunate no one was injured."

LI assesses storm damage; some power outages remain

Storm damage was still being evaluated Friday morning across Long Island, with roads and rail travel seemingly not greatly affected during the morning rush, but officials reporting scattered electrical outages and "significant" delays are area airports.

A quick scan of the New York State Department of Transportation 511 NY traffic monitoring website shows no major delays or closures on any of the major roads in Nassau and Suffolk. And the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Long Island Rail Road are reporting minor delays on the Port Jefferson Branch, due to earlier equipment trouble, but said all other branches are operating on time as of 7:30 a.m.

PSEG Long Island reported just under 800 outages in 71 reported incidents in Nassau and Suffolk. Hardest hit areas appear to be 141 customer outages in East Islip, 123 in Russell Gardens, 57 in Eatons Neck, 56 in North Hills and 51 in Lake Ronkonkoma. PSEG said it hopes to restore power in Eatons Neck by 11 a.m., in North Hills by noon and in East Islip by 4 p.m. As of 7:30 a.m. it had no estimates on the other significant outages affecting Long Islanders, but said crews were working on repairs.

Flight tracking service FlightAware is reporting gate holds and taxi and departure delays of up to two hours at Kennedy Airport, with 72 flights delayed and another 33 canceled. LaGuardia also is experiencing "significant flight disruptions," according to FlightAware, which had 12 delays flights and 10 cancellations reported as of 7:30 a.m. Long Island MacArthur Airport was showing no delays early Friday.

The National Weather Service reported winds of up to 48 mph Thursday night at Kennedy, which caused major disruptions to incoming and outgoing flights, contributing to the disruptions Friday. Flash flooding at LaGuardia Airport on Thursday evening led to major delays and continued to contribute to disruptions Friday. The weather service said it will continue to assess storm data and update significant damage-causing events from the storm, as it predicts the possibility of more rain moving into the area late Friday.

The weather service said there is a chance of showers before 8 p.m. Friday with the likelihood of thunderstorms between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. Saturday. The chance of precipitation is about 70%.

A small craft advisory is in effect for all Long Island waters from New York Harbor to Montauk on the South Shore and for Long Island Sound on the North Shore — and it will remain in effect until at least 2 p.m. From Fire Island Inlet to Montauk the advisory will extend to at least 6 p.m.

The advisory affects all inlets and bays, as well.

"Inexperienced mariners, especially those operating smaller vessels, should avoid navigating in hazardous conditions," the weather service said.

Officials tour damaged beach club

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is at the Sun & Surf Beach Club in Atlantic Beach, meeting with police and touring tornado damage ahead of a news conference set for 8 a.m.

Pieces of wood and other debris from cabanas damaged in Thursday night's tornado litter the ground.

The tornado ripped off the roof of one cabana and tore through the front of several beachside cabanas.

Waterspout over the ocean became Atlantic Beach tornado

The National Weather Service confirmed there was a waterspout Thursday in the Atlantic Ocean, explaining it was the same storm event that became the tornado that hit Atlantic Beach.

A waterspout is, by definition, a tornadic storm that is considered a waterspout over water — and a tornado over land, the weather service said.

Waterspouts are formed when rising warm air encounters cool winds that cause air to spin, forming visible funnels filled with water.

According to the official weather service webpage About Waterspouts: "Tornadic waterspouts are simply tornadoes that form over water, or move from land to water. They have the same characteristics as a land tornado. They are associated with severe thunderstorms, and are often accompanied by high winds and seas, large hail, and frequent dangerous lightning.”

It WAS a tornado, National Weather Service confirms

The National Weather Service has confirmed the damage in Atlantic Beach on Thursday night was caused by a tornado — but said it will need to conduct a survey Friday to determine a classification for that tornado.

The weather service said the process involves a physical boots-on-the-ground examination of the damage, looking for evidence to determine the wind pattern, speed, strength and other factors that will allow meteorologists to classify it according to the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

That scale rates tornadoes as follows: EF0, 65-85 mph winds, light damage; EF-1, 86-110 mph winds, moderate damage; EF-2 111-135 mph winds, considerable damage; EF-3 136-165 mph, severe damage; EF-4, 166-200 mph, devastating damage; and, EF-5, 200-plus mph winds, incredible damage.

The scale, originally called the Fujita Scale, was introduced in 1971 by Japanese-American meteorologist Ted Fujita, of the University of Chicago, in collaboration with the head of the National Severe Storms Forecast Center Allen Pearson, but was decommissioned in 2007 in favor of the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which the weather service said more accurately matches wind speeds and damage.

The weather service is also investigating another circulation about one mile farther east that could have spawned a shoreward moving waterspout.

Tornadoes in New York are relatively rare, with fewer than three dozen reported statewide each year — most, at the lowest end of the Enhanced Fujita Scale. A series of six tornadoes — most EF-0, but including one EF-1 — hit the South Shore on Nov. 13, 2021, the EF-1 recorded in Shirley during a severe weather outbreak that ranged from Woodmere to Westhampton. The so-called Shirley-Manorville tornado had an estimated maximum wind speed of 110 mph, according to weather service records.

A Sept. 7, 1998, F-2 tornado hit Lynbrook, injuring six and causing $1 million in damage, according to the Tornado History Project.

Records show another F-2 tornado hit Moriches on July 10, 1989.

A three-tornado outbreak on Oct. 2, 2018, included one EF-0 tornado in Ronkonkoma, others upstate.

An EF-2 tornado hit New York City on Aug. 8, 2007, causing $20 million damage in Staten Island and Brooklyn, injuring nine people.

Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows there have been "several" EF-2 strength tornadoes recorded on Long Island in the history of recorded storms here — including five in the past 53 years.

The most recent EF-2 tornado in the metro area was the Aug. 8, 2007, tornado that swept across Staten Island and Brooklyn, weather service meteorologist Matthew Wunsch said, while the most-recent F-2 tornado on Long Island hit the North Fork in 1999.

Long Island storm a powerful summer disrupter

A tornado in Atlantic Beach, an evening commute amid heavy rain and concertgoers searching for safe shelter — all results of an early evening rainstorm Thursday across Long Island.

Nassau was under a state of emergency due to the storm and had mobilized its emergency operation center, said County Executive Bruce Blakeman.

The tornado touched down at the Sun & Surf Beach Club in Atlantic Beach, leaving one person with minor injuries and major damage to at least 30 cabanas. 

It could have been worse, said Inwood Fire Department Chief Josiyah Green at the scene late Thursday. About 100 workers and guests were at the cabanas during what Green described as "a pretty busy evening." He attributed the lack of injuries to "luck."

Roadways were flooded by the rain, which was still coming down across the Island just after 11 p.m. 

At the Northwell at Jones Beach Theater, the show was back on late Thursday after concertgoers earlier had been told to shelter in place because of the severe weather.

The concert, featuring Howard Jones, The English Beat, Modern English and other acts that had their heydays in the 1980s — was postponed "momentarily," theater officials had said.

A text message from the theater to concertgoers said the show had been set to resume at 9:45 p.m.

Scenes from the storm

The storm, which slowly made its way to Long Island on Thursday, dumping heavy rain by about 6:45 p.m., appeared to have slowed by 10 p.m., leaving a trail of flooded roads and frayed nerves of drivers unable to avoid the deluge.

Here are some images from the night:

1 injured, club cabanas damaged in possible Atlantic Beach tornado, fire official says

A possible tornado that touched down Thursday night at the Sun & Surf Beach Club in Atlantic Beach left one person with minor injuries and major damage to at least 30 cabanas, according to Nassau Chief Fire Marshal Michael Uttaro.

The Inwood Fire Department received a call for a severe wind damage at the beach club, located at 2191 Bay Boulevard, at 7:12 p.m., Uttaro said.

A worker at the beach club, he said, suffered minor injuries but refused medical treatment. There were no other civilian or first responder injuries.

In addition, an estimated 30 one-story cabanas were damaged or destroyed, Uttaro said.

The Inwood Fire Department activated a Level 2 major response of the Nassau County Technical Rescue Teams, and the situation was brought under control within one hour, he said.

In total, 13 fire departments and about 200 firefighters, along with multiple police units, responded to the scene.

The Town of Hempstead Building Department is on the scene assessing damage.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman will hold a news conference at the beach club at 8 a.m. on Friday to provide an update on the incident.

Blakeman Thursday declared a State of Emergency and activated the county’s Emergency Operations Center as first responders assess storm damage and respond to flooding across the South Shore.

Jones Beach concert resumes after storm delay

The show was back on Thursday night at the Northwell at Jones Beach Theater after concertgoers earlier had been told to shelter in place because of the severe weather.

The concert, featuring Howard Jones, The English Beat, Modern English and other acts that had their heydays in the 1980s — was postponed "momentarily," theater officials had said.

An updated text message to concertgoers said: "Good News, Howard Jones Fan! Seating area is open now and the show will begin at 9:45pm. Please safely proceed to the gates at this time. To make entry faster and get to the music, please leave all unnecessary items in your car and have your tickets ready for scanning. We'll continue to keep an eye on the weather and will let you know if there are further updates."

Possible tornado hits Atlantic Beach, Blakeman says

First responders were searching storm-struck Atlantic Beach late Thursday for anyone who may be trapped in a residence or vehicle after a possible tornado "touched down" in the community, according to Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.

The county is under a state of emergency and has mobilized its Emergency Operation Center, Blakeman said.

"So far there are no reports of casualties or serious injuries," Blakeman said in a text message through spokesman Chris Boyle. "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."

First responders were checking for "people trapped in their vehicles due to flooding in the south shore," Blakeman said. He added that he was coordinating with Suffolk County Executive Ed Romain to determine "if any regional response is necessary in other parts of Long Island."

"We will keep the public advised if any conditions change," he added.

Storms cause damage in Atlantic Beach

Multiple cabanas at the Sun and Surf Beach Club in Atlantic Beach were damaged in the storm Thursday evening. Members of the Inwood Fire Department were at the scene, which was littered with wood and other debris.

The Nassau County Police Department had reports of stormy conditions in the Atlantic Beach area but could not immediately provide information regarding the severity or nature of the storm, the extent of damages and whether any injuries were reported.

The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning that alerted residents of southern Nassau to dangerous winds earlier in the evening.

Jones Beach concertgoers told to shelter in place due to storm

Concertgoers at the Northwell at Jones Beach Theater are being told to shelter in place because of the severe weather.

"Please seek shelter until further notice," the venue says in social media posts about 7:15 p.m.

The posts say the concert — featuring Howard Jones, The English Beat, Modern English and other acts that had their heydays in the 1980s — is being paused "momentarily."

It advises attendees to follow instructions from theater employees to shelter under the covered pavilion or inside restrooms.

"We hope to get back to the music as soon as we can," the post says.

Fans wanting updates can text HOWARDJONES26 to 516-550-5545.

Heavy downpour pounding Long Island, NYC

Heavy rain continued to pound Long Island and the rest of the region on Thursday evening, with flooding reported in New York City, and continued warnings for people to stay off roads and away from places where water could quickly accumulate.

 New York City's official emergency communications system warned residents that localized flooding had been reported amid the heavy rain. 

"Don't enter flooded roads or buildings," the alert said. "Stay out of flooded basements. Move to higher ground or floor if needed. Call 911 if you need immediate assistance. Avoid unnecessary travel. If you must travel, exercise caution and visit mta.info or 511ny.org before leaving for weather-related delays or closures."

Neither the National Weather Service nor the Nassau County Police Department had any reports of damages or flooding when reached about 7:15 p.m. Nassau remained under a flash flood warning, while much of Suffolk remained under a flood advisory.

Reports of a tornado touching down in Atlantic Beach could not be immediately confirmed late Thursday.

Tornado warning in Southern Nassau

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning through 7:15 p.m. for southern Nassau County.

A "severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Atlantic Beach, or over Long Beach" and heading northeast, the agency said. The winds could down trees and damage homes and vehciles.

"Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter," the agency warned.

Flight delays at Kennedy, LaGuardia

Area airports were experiencing delays due to thunderstorms as of about 6:35 p.m. on Thursday.

Flights out of Kennedy and LaGuardia airports were delayed upward of one hour and 45 minutes, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Arriving flights were held at their departure airports on average around 1 hour and 40 minutes, while airborne flights were delayed upward of 15 minutes.

Nassau County under flash flood warning

Shortly after 6 p.m., the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for Nassau County, according to the agency's official X account. The warning means flooding is either happening or will happen soon. Motorists and pedestrians alike should exercise caution.

The warning was set to expire at 8:15 p.m.

Upward of an inch of rain has already been recorded in Nassau and New York City, with up to another 1.5 inches expected, according to the warning.

Heavy rain on final approach to Long Island

As some "light rain" fell over "much of the Island" about 6 p.m. Thursday, Nassau and Suffolk remained under a flood watch, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Joe Pollina.

The watch means rains hard enough to cause flooding in urban areas or those with poor drainage are possible. A flood advisory, on the other hand, currently listed for New York City and northeastern New Jersey, means such trouble is either happening now, or will soon.

"There is a line of heavier rain moving through [New York City] right now that is about to make it's way through northwestern portions of Nassau," Pollina said.

Up to 3 inches of rainfall is possible locally across the Island, the meteorologist said. The more likely estimates are about 2.5 inches in western Nassau to "just under an inch" on the East End, he added.