Severe storms cause flooding, power outages and possible tornadoes in the Northeast

Heavy rain and strong winds swept through the Northeast United States on Thursday, prompting flooding, stranded vehicles and power outages in several states. A possible tornado touched down at Atlantic Beach on Long Island, damaging a beach club and scattering debris along the shoreline.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said no serious injuries or deaths were reported, but property damage was confirmed and a search team was deployed to check for trapped individuals. He declared a state of emergency and noted that some drivers were trapped in flooded vehicles on the south shore.

The Sun and Surf Beach Club and nearby Silver Point were forced to close after significant damage. The National Weather Service had issued a waterspout warning for the area but could not immediately verify a tornado.

In Queens, flooding forced the closure of a section of the Long Island Expressway in both directions, with emergency crews navigating water-logged roads. In Jersey City, Mayor James Solomon reported that emergency responders rescued 69 motorists stranded by flash flooding, using inflatable boats to reach vehicles in knee-deep water.

A likely tornado struck Dover, Delaware, causing notable damage but no serious injuries, according to the police department, which urged residents to stay home and remain safe. The Delaware Electric Cooperative reported that more than 1,000 customers lost power in the northern service area, though most outages were restored within a few hours.

Meteorologist Bryan Ramsey of the National Weather Service said the storm system was moving east offshore and was expected to weaken over the next several hours.