Rare Long Island tornado shreds dozens of beach cabanas, no fatalities reported

Drone footage released Friday showed the aftermath of an unusual tornado that swept through Long Island on Thursday night, flattening the tops of roughly 50 cabanas at the Sun and Surf Beach Club in Atlantic Beach. The narrow vortex, which touched down around 7 p.m., originated as a waterspout offshore and traveled from the Rockaways before striking the beach club, according to one outlet Weather Service. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who issued a state of emergency, described the event as a “blessing” because there were no fatalities and only a single minor injury, noting that the preceding rain had left the beach largely empty.

Club patron Matthew Stark, who was with his family in a 25-by-15-foot cabana, said the roof was ripped off and debris rained down, leaving him with only a finger scratch and a small bump. He and other guests walked to their cars unharmed, though a few vehicles stalled in water on the Southern State Parkway and a home in Stewart Manor lost its roof. Officials are still assessing the financial cost, but the rest of the beach club suffered no structural damage.