Rare tornadoes hit New York City area as storms cause chaos across Northeast, Mid-Atlantic

CNN

By CNN meteorologists Chris Dolce and Dakota Smith

(CNN) — Destructive tornadoes and drenching storms pummeled the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, including two waterspouts that came ashore in the New York City area.

🌧️ Get your local forecast with the CNN Weather app

One waterspout hit Nassau County, New York, on Long Island, Thursday evening, ripping through the Sun and Surf Beach Club on Atlantic Beach and significantly damaging cabanas and buildings, the club said. A state of emergency was declared in Nassau County, County Executive Bruce Blakeman said on Facebook.

Waterspouts are just tornadoes that form over water, making this the first tornado to hit Nassau County since November 2021 and a rare tornado for the New York City area at large.

Another waterspout moved ashore near the eastern Rockaways in southern Queens, according to the National Weather Service, but no damage has been reported from the fleeting whirlwind. The NWS said it’s still investigating both waterspouts.

Damage was reported more broadly across the Mid-Atlantic region, including in parts of Pennsylvania and Delaware hit by tornadoes. A man also died after being struck by lightning on a beach in Cape Charles, Virginia, CNN affiliate WVEC reported, citing the town manager.

A woman with the man was also struck but suffered only minor injuries, according to WVEC. CNN has reached out to officials for more details.

A tornado caused “significant damage” throughout Dover, Delaware, according to the city’s police department. No one was seriously injured, the department later added. The city declared a state of emergency Thursday evening.

Two hotels sustained “heavy damage,” Dover Police Department spokesperson Mark Hoffman told CNN. Video shows the tornado ripping the roof off a Super Lodge motel. All guests were evacuated and placed in a temporary shelter, Hoffman said.

A tornado was also spotted in Columbia, Pennsylvania, as severe storms marched through southeast parts of the state. A state of emergency has been declared for Columbia Borough, police said Thursday night.

Nearby, in York County, Pennsylvania, a high school and six townhomes were damaged and one person had a minor injury, according to the York County Office of Emergency Management.

In Summit, New Jersey, fire crews responded to a blaze at a multi-unit home after an apparent lightning strike hit the chimney and caused a fire in the attic, CNN affiliate WABC reported. No one was injured.

Fire Chief Brian Harnois said crews were already responding to storm-related emergencies when the call came in, WABC said.

Flooding shuts down roads

Nearly 3 inches of rain fell in parts of New York City in a few hours, while parts of southern New Jersey saw even higher totals close to 5 inches.

The heavy rainfall caused flooding that closed portions of several major roadways across New York City the city, including the Brooklyn Queens Expressway and the Long Island Expressway in Queens. City authorities also warned commuters of delays on “MTA trains across NYC.”

The storms also disrupted air travel across the New York City region. The Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday issued ground delays for flights arriving at JFK, LaGuardia and Newark airports, according to NYC Emergency Management.

The storms were generated by a cold front that caused flash flooding in central Ohio early Thursday morning. Multiple water rescues and road closures were reported near Columbus, Ohio, according to CNN affiliate WBNS.

All lanes of Interstate 70 in Licking County, Ohio, just east of Columbus, were closed Thursday evening near Buckeye Lake as the South Fork Licking River rose into major flood stage. The river was near its record crest set in March 2020 as of Friday morning.

The threat of flooding rain has now shifted farther south into parts of the Carolinas and southern Virginia as the workweek comes to a close.

More downpours will spread into the Mid-Atlantic on Saturday that could cause localized flash flooding, especially from eastern Virginia to the southern half of New Jersey.

This story has been updated with additional information.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

CNN’s Isa Mudannayake, Caroll Alvarado, Dave Alsup, Amanda Jackson and Karina Tsui contributed to this report.