Environment & Climate
Tornado touches down in Long Island as storm brings flash flooding to New York area
National Weather Service teams are assessing damage after a tornadic waterspout came ashore in Nassau County and radar detected rotation over Queens.
The short version
- A tornado moved ashore from water into Atlantic Beach in Nassau County, damaging buildings and cabanas.
- A severe storm system brought 4 to 5 inches of rain, triggering flash floods from northeastern New Jersey across Long Island.
- National Weather Service survey teams are evaluating the storm's intensity and determining whether a second suspected tornado made ground contact in Queens.
Key facts
- A tornadic waterspout formed over the water and made landfall in Atlantic Beach in Long Island's Nassau County, causing property damage.[Scientific American]
- National Weather Service meteorologist Dave Radell reported that the storm system produced between 4 and 5 inches of rainfall and widespread flash flooding from northeast New Jersey to Long Island.[Scientific American]
- Radar indicated cloud rotation near Far Rockaway in Queens, but no visual evidence or ground damage was initially reported there.[Scientific American]
- Tornadoes remain relatively uncommon in New York State, with 88 recorded between 1950 and 2022, most rated at 0 or 1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale.[Scientific American]
What remains uncertain
- The precise wind speed, width, duration, and Enhanced Fujita scale rating of the Long Island tornado remain unconfirmed pending survey results.[Scientific American]
- It is not yet confirmed whether the rotating storm system near Far Rockaway made contact with the ground as a tornado.[Scientific American]
Sources
- Why tornadoes touched down near New York CityScientific American metered