Tornado destroys Long Island beach club during severe storm, Blakeman says
Tornado destroys Long Island beach club, Blakeman says
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman tells FOX 5 NY's Robert Moses a tornado touched down on Long Island during the severe storm.
ATLANTIC BEACH, NY - A tornado briefly touched down on Long Island during severe storms Thursday and caused extensive damage, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said.
The twister touched down at around 7:11 p.m. in Atlantic Beach and ripped through the Sun and Surf Beach Club, Blakeman said Friday morning at a news conference.
It was over within minutes, Blakeman said.
"Fortunately, there were no injuries. There might've been one minor injury, but no serious injuries reported. Nobody went to the hospital and there were no casualties," he said.
Tornado on Long Island | FULL PRESS CONFERENCE
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman gives an update on severe weather damage on Long Island.
The beach club will remain closed until further notice after the storm took down several wooden beams that damaged many of the cabanas, Blakeman said.
The National Weather Service has not yet confirmed the tornado.
Long Island waterspout
Flooding in NJ, potential tornado on Long Island
FOX 5 NY's Stephanie Bertini is reporting live from Newark, New Jersey, covering the heavy storms that hit the state.
Local perspective:
Nassau County's fire marshal said a tornado damaged or destroyed 30 cabanas at the Sun and Surf Beach Club during Thursday's severe storms.
Video shows a waterspout forming off the Long Island coast and coming ashore while a tornado warning was issued Thursday night. A waterspout is a spinning column of air that may move over land and become tornadic, capable of inflicting serious damage.
First responders arrived at the beach club shortly after 7 p.m. to ensure no one was trapped under the debris. One worker suffered a minor injury, but refused medical aid, officials said.
What they're saying:
Matthew Stark, who shot video of what appears to be a tornado, said he and his family were inside their cabana trying to stay out of the rain when the worst of the storm hit.
"I shut the door and not even two seconds later, the wind picked up, and the roof ripped off. Everything started falling on us. The doors blew open, and then just like that, it was over," Stark said. "It was probably only a couple seconds, but it felt like forever. Everybody was fine, thank God. I don't know how."
Dig deeper:
About 25 miles northeast of Atlantic Beach, a lightning strike set fire to the Milleridge Inn, a landmark Long Island restaurant and wedding venue, in Jericho.
There was no immediate word on any injuries.
The Source: This article includes information from Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the National Weather Service and reporting by FOX 5 NY's Robert Moses.