Tornado Slams Long Island, Leaving Severe Damage In Its Wake

LONG ISLAND, NY — A tornado slammed Long Island Thursday night, leaving a trail of severe damage in its wake, the National Weather Service said.

According to a statement by the NWS, a tornado was confirmed at Atlantic Beach in southern Nassau County.

The National Weather Service's New York office, along with emergency management partners, are continuing to review damage, ground truth, and radar data from one to possibly two waterspouts that approached the southern shoreline of the far eastern Rockaways and Atlantic Beach area in southeastern Queens and southwestern Nassau counties, the NWS said.

"Based on radar and videos/photos received we are able to confirm that a waterspout likely paralleled the far southeastern portion of the Rockaway near the mouth of the East Rockaway Inlet and came onshore as a tornado in the far west end of Atlantic Beach between 6:30 and 7 p.m. on August 20," the NWS said. "Radar data, video of the waterspout coming onshore, and damage reports in the vicinity of theSun and Surf Beach club in Atlantic Beachallow for confirmation of a tornadic touchdown in this area."

Based on radar data, there was another circulation about one mile farther east, that could have spawned a shoreward moving waterspout in the Atlantic beach and Five Towns area of far southwestern Nassau County, the NWS said.

No damage reports have come in, as of yet, the NWS said.

"We will continue to investigate incoming damage reports with our emergency management partners, and provide more information on the confirmed tornado and cause of any additional damage paths later today," the NWS said.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman also confirmed the tornado and said there were no injuries. He said a search team has been mobilized to be sure no one was trapped in the cabanas.

"There are reports of people trapped in their vehicles due to flooding in the south shore and first responders are assisting in their rescue," he said.

Blakeman said he had spoken with Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine and they would coordinate if a regional response was necessary; Blakeman declared a state of emergency and mobilized the county's emergency operations center