Rare tornadoes hit New York City amid East Coast storms

Two waterspouts came onshore and became rare tornadoes in the New York City area on Thursday while other destructive storms hammered the Northeast.

The first waterspout, a tornado that forms over water, came off the Atlantic Ocean and hit western Long Island. Authorities declared a state of emergency there, in Nassau County, though at the time of the announcement, no casualties or serious injuries were reported. The first waterspout tore through the Sun and Surf Beach Club on Atlantic Beach, damaging cabanas and buildings, according to the club. The second, shorter-lived waterspout came ashore in southern Queens and caused little damage, the National Weather Service reported. Both waterspouts came ashore between 6:30 and 7 p.m. local time Thursday evening, NWS added.

Where were some of the other storms? Damage spanned the Mid-Atlantic region, as more tornadoes raced through Delaware and Pennsylvania. One large tornado tore through Dover, Del., Thursday evening, leaving a trail of damage, according to local police. Tornadoes touched down in central Pennsylvania over the past week, breaking the yearly record for tornadoes in the Pittsburgh region. Local authorities also warned of the severe weather and set curfews in southern Pennsylvania’s Columbia Borough.

Lightning strikes caused a fire at a multi-unit home in northeastern New Jersey and killed a man and injured a woman in Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay, according to local CNN affiliates WABC and WVEC, respectively. Ohio experienced serious flooding, according to local police, and flooding delayed NYC trains and closed down two major expressways and other roads in New York. Authorities also grounded flights across the New York City region, with delays of over 2.5 hours.

The National Weather Service warned of the possibility of more heavy rain across the eastern seaboard that could lead to flash flooding over the weekend. Unstable and warm air masses in the area could cause clustered, potentially severe thunderstorms, it added.