Tornado Damages 2 Atlantic Beach Clubs as Storms Trigger Queens-Nassau Warning

Q: What rare atmospheric anomaly transformed a typical storm into a destructive waterspout that devastated Long Island's beach clubs?

The storm was likely intensified by a tornadic waterspout — a rotating column of air that formed over water and then moved ashore near Atlantic Beach. That appears to be the rare anomaly that turned a severe thunderstorm into a destructive event. Video showed a waterspout forming offshore, and the National Weather Service said it was reviewing evidence from one or possibly two waterspouts that may have come on land in Atlantic Beach and the eastern Rockaways. Once a waterspout moves ashore, it is effectively treated as a tornado. Officials and weather reports indicate that this waterspout-turned-tornado was responsible for the damage at the Sun and Surf Beach Club and Silver Point Beach Club, where dozens of cabanas were damaged or destroyed. AccuWeather and local officials described the footage and damage pattern as consistent with a waterspout coming inland. So the key atmospheric anomaly was not an ordinary burst of wind, but a rare offshore waterspout that likely transitioned into a tornado as it hit land.

3 articles · Updated · liherald.com · Aug 21

Atlantic Beach took a tornado hit Thursday evening, damaging the Sun and Surf and Silver Point beach clubs, with Nassau County officials reporting no casualties or serious injuries so far.
Severe thunderstorms drove the touchdown, bringing heavy rain, flooding and possible tornado activity across the New York region as the storm moved through Long Island.
Emergency crews from Atlantic Beach Rescue and nearby communities responded, while a search team checked cabanas to ensure no one was trapped.
The National Weather Service kept a tornado warning in effect for parts of Queens and Nassau County until 7:15 p.m., urging residents to take shelter.
Both clubs were temporarily closed pending damage assessments, and video from offshore appeared to show a waterspout forming near Atlantic Beach.