Storms flood New York freeway, cut power in parts of Dover
A possible tornado tore through Atlantic Beach on Long Island’s outer barrier on Thursday as heavy rain and high winds swept through the Northeast, splintering a major beach club and leaving broken beach chairs and wood beams littered across the shoreline, according to the Associated Press.
Photos and video shared on social media showed debris thrown into the air and pummeling rain as the apparent tornado moved through the beachfront community, the wire service reported.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman declared a state of emergency for the county in the storm’s wake. He said there were no reports of serious injuries or deaths but that property damage had occurred, and he confirmed that a search team was working to make sure no one was trapped inside the damaged cabanas.
“There are reports of people trapped in their vehicles due to flooding in the south shore, and first responders are assisting in their rescue,” Blakeman said.
The storm system extended well beyond Long Island, flooding a major New York freeway and knocking out power in parts of Delaware’s capital city, the wire service reported.