Overview
- A line of intense storms produced heavy rain, strong winds and flash flooding across the Northeast on Thursday, forcing closure of a stretch of the Long Island Expressway and stranding motorists on flooded streets.
- Nassau County declared a state of emergency after a waterspout or possible tornado moved onshore at Atlantic Beach and emergency crews found about 30 destroyed beach cabanas and extensive damage to local beach clubs.
- Dover, Delaware, reported a probable tornado that caused widespread damage to buildings and hotels and prompted a local state of emergency, with police and fire teams conducting search and response work.
- Rescue teams evacuated dozens of people from flooded vehicles, including 69 people saved in Jersey City, and utilities reported more than 1,000 customers briefly without power in parts of Delaware before most outages were restored.
- The National Weather Service is actively reviewing radar data and ground surveys to confirm tornado or waterspout touchdowns, and experts note that late-summer coastal storms can spawn waterspouts that become dangerous if they move ashore.