Powerful storms swept across New York on Thursday evening, bringing a dramatic waterspout, a tornado warning and intense flooding that left residents across parts of the state startled by the sudden burst of severe weather.
Striking footage showed a large waterspout churning off the South Shore of Long Island as fierce winds and driving rain lashed the area.
The National Weather Service said it was “reviewing damage” linked to two possible tornadoes in the eastern Rockaways and Atlantic Beach, affecting areas of southern Queens and Nassau County, according to ABC7.
The frightening waterspouts, filmed by stunned locals, appeared to move inland sometime between 6.30pm and 7pm.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman also said a tornado had touched down in Atlantic Beach, the outlet reported.
In New York City, a tornado warning was issued for Queens, where officials urged people to get inside, stay away from windows and avoid basements as the storm system moved through.
The heavy rain also sparked flash flooding in other parts of the Big Apple, with water inundating sections of the city’s subway system.
The severe weather caused major travel headaches as well, with the FAA issuing ground delays for flights arriving at JFK, LaGuardia and Newark airports.
Two waterspouts in the eastern Rockaways and Atlantic Beach in southern Queens and Nassau counties were reported amid massive storms in New York on Thursday
Huge delays were reported on the New York City subway system, which was flooded as a result of the massive downpour
The NWS said the first waterspout spotted on Long Island appeared to have been short-lived after coming onshore in the eastern Rockaways, according to ABC7.
Meanwhile, the second apparent waterspout in Atlantic Beach had caused significant damage, according to preliminary reports.
Radar evidence suggested that this waterspout may have survived for longer, per the outlet.
The Inwood Fire Department received a call for severe wind damage around at the Sun and Surf Beach Club in Atlantic Beach around 7.15pm.
Nassau County Chief Fire Marshal Michael Uttaro said that a tornado had appeared to touch down.
As of early Friday, the NWS had not yet confirmed any tornadoes on Long Island.
First responders found about 50 one-story damaged or destroyed cabanas from the massively windy weather, CBS New York reported.
A club employee suffered a minor head injury but turned down medical attention.
New Jersey was also affected by the massive thunderstorms, with ground stops and delays at Newark Airport throughout the day
New York City authorities had issued a travel advisory to begin the day because of strong thunderstorms that could produce rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour
The MTA has told New York City locals and visitors to plan for travel time
‘Best I can call it is luck,’ Inwood Fire Department chief Josiyah Green told the outlet.
‘Just by the grace of luck that a lot of people weren’t hurt here because this beach club is a very popular place during the summer,’ Green added.
The club has been closed until further notice after the wreckage caused by Thursday’s weather.
Nassau County declared a state of emergency, as other parts of New York also contended with the heavy downpour.
In Queens, a tornado warning was issued around 6.50pm through 7.15pm, with New York City authorities urging residents to ‘take shelter NOW.’
‘Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter,’ the city’s emergency notification system wrote.
Part of the Long Island Expressway was closed in both directions due to massive flooding.
Water also inundated the NYC subway system, causing massive delays. Footage showed gigantic streams descending into stations.
The C train was suspended as crews removed water from the tracks. The A, E and F lines were also experiencing delays, as of 1am Friday.
The MTA has urged travelers to plan for extra travel time going into Friday morning.
The flooding caused subway lines around New York to be suspended or delayed, causing headaches for locals
New York City saw a tornado warning being issued in Queens around 7pm, with residents being told to urgently take shelter
New York City authorities had issued a travel advisory to begin the day, warning that strong thunderstorms could produce rainfall rates of one to two inches per hour.
JFK, LaGuardia and Newark saw average delays of 100 minutes to more than two and a half hours around Friday afternoon, the New York City Emergency Management office posted on X.
As a whole, there were 167 cancellations and 414 delays at JFK Airport, according to FlightAware.
LaGuardia had 219 cancellations and 299 delays, while Newark in New Jersey, which was also pelted by the rain, saw 116 cancellations and 413 delays.
Travelers were told to allow for additional travel time and be prepared for delays or flight changes.
As of 1.40am on Friday, the ground stops at JFK, LaGuardia and Newark were no longer active.
However, the FAA was still reporting delays at all three New York airports.
Departures at JFK faced delays of up to two hours, while departures at Newark could be delayed for about 30 and 15 minutes, respectively.
Meanwhile, JFK had seen 24 cancellations, LaGuardia 10 and Newark six.
