Updated

Updated · The Guardian · Aug 21

Northeast Storms Strand 69 in New Jersey as Tornadoes Damage Long Island and Dover

Updated

Updated · The Guardian · Aug 21

Northeast Storms Strand 69 in New Jersey as Tornadoes Damage Long Island and Dover

Q: How did hundreds of beach club partygoers narrowly escape disaster just moments before a rare tornado struck?

They escaped because many of the 200 to 300 people at the Sun & Surf Beach Club in Atlantic Beach had already started evacuating as the storm approached, just before a waterspout came ashore and became a tornado. Weather warnings and visible signs of danger appear to have given partygoers a narrow window. The National Weather Service later said radar, video and damage reports showed the tornado touched down between about 6:30 and 7 p.m. Video captured the spinning waterspout offshore heading toward land, and a tornado warning had been issued for the area around that time. That likely prompted people to move out before the strongest winds hit. The timing was critical. Officials said the tornado then tore through the club within minutes, shredding at least 30 to 50 cabanas, sending debris and furniture flying, and causing major structural damage. People who remained inside reportedly ran toward interior space for cover as the building shook and windows pounded. Emergency crews later searched cabana by cabana to make sure no one was trapped. Only one minor injury, to an employee, was reported. Nassau County officials said the lack of serious injuries was largely due to the early evacuation and the storm’s brief passage, along with what responders described as fortunate timing.

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 21

69 people were rescued from flood-trapped cars in Jersey City after sudden storms swept the Northeast, while Long Island and Delaware residents began cleanup Friday.
Heavy rain shut part of the Long Island Expressway in Queens and forced Nassau County crews to pull motorists from flooded vehicles as flash flooding spread across the region.
At least 50 beach cabanas were wrecked at Long Island’s Sun & Surf Beach Club, where a tornado struck during a party of 200 to 300 people and left one person with minor injuries.
Dover also reported a tornado Thursday evening, with social media images showing a motel roof torn off; the city lifted its state of emergency Friday morning but warned debris and utility work still blocked travel.
Tornadoes are relatively rare in the Northeast, making the back-to-back twisters and widespread flooding an unusual regional storm hit.