New Details Emerge On Devastating Tornado That Ripped Into LI Beach Club: NWS

LONG ISLAND, NY — New information has been released about a tornado that slammed Long Island and left a swath of devastation in its wake.

Photos of damage at the Sun and Surf Beach Club in Atlantic Beach bear testament to the powerful storm that ripped through the commuity at the height of the summer season.

According to the National Weather Service, a EF-1 tornado was confirmed at Atlantic Beach in southern Nassau County Thursday.

Estimated peak winds reached 97 miles per hour, with the length of the path of the tornado about 0.36 miles and the width, about 100 yards, the NWS said.

No one was injured and there were no fatalities, the NWS said.

According to the NWS, the tornado touched down about 6:47 p.m. and ended at 6:50 p.m.

"The National Weather Service survey team in coordination with federal, state and local public safety officials confirmed an EF-1 tornado producing a narrow swath of estimated wind gusts of 65 to 97 mph across the far western end of Atlantic Beach between 6:47 p.m. and 6: 50 p.m. on August 20," the NWS said in a statement. "These winds resulted in an approximately 0.36 miles long by 100 yard wide path of moderate to major damage to nearly 50 beach bungalows and storage units and adjacent decking and railing, as well as window damage to nearly 30 cars, and destruction of 30 yards of sand fencing."

Based on ground and drone survey, radar data, eyewitness reports, and videos/photos received, the NWS said: "We are able to confirm that an eastward moving waterspout likely paralleled the far southeastern beachfront of the Rockaways (east of Beach 59th street) before moving east-southeast over the entrance of East Rockaway Inlet toward the far western shoreline of Atlantic Beach."

The waterspout came onshore as a tornado near the parking lot on the north side of the Sun and Surf Beach Club around 6:47 p.m., the NWS said.

The tornado demolished a 30-yard length of sand fence to the northwest of the parking lot adjacent to East Rockaway Inlet, before shattering the rear and north facing windows of nearly 30 cars in the parking lot, the NWS said.

East southeast winds were estimated between 70 and 80 mph in that area, the NWS said.

The tornado then continued east southeast across the Sun and Surf beach club, with complete roof damage, partial to locally complete wall damage, and adjacent deck and railing damage to 25 to 30 beach bungalows, the NWS said.

The greatest wind damage was noted on the south and west side of the bungalows on the three easternmost rows of bungalows, consistent with a convergent wind towards the east southeastward moving tornado, the NWS said.

"This was the area of most severe damage, with winds in this area estimated to be 85 to 97 mph," the NWS said. "Additional light to moderate cabana and storage unit damage was noted up to 200 feet to the northwest of this primary damage swath."

The tornado likely continued southeast across the open beachfront, before moving back over the water and dissipating by around 6:50 p.m., the NWS said. "This motion was consistent with radar and webcam analysis."

The National Weather Service thanked the Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency - Region 2, New York State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services - Long Island Region, New York State Police, Nassau County Office of Emergency Management, New York City Emergency Management, Atlantic Beach lifeguards, broadcast media, and spotters who shared video, photographic evidence — and the general public who shared reports through social media, in assisting the survey and formulating the preliminary damage report.

The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories, the NWS said:

EF0: 65 to 85 mph

EF1: 86 to 110 mph

EF2: 111 to 135 mph

EF3: 136 to 165 mph

EF4: 166 to 200 mph

EF5: >200 mph

“A tornado touched down in Nassau County minutes ago,” County Executive Bruce Blakeman said Thursday night.

Blakeman — an Atlantic Beach resident — said he had declared a state of emergency in Nassau County Thursday night, adding that county search teams had been mobilized to make sure no one was trapped in the cabanas on an evening where reports had come in of people trapped in their vehicles due to flooding along the south shore.

Sun and Surf Beach Club released a statement Thursday night saying that both Silver Point and Sun and Surf would be closed until further notice.

"We are working with local authorities and assessing the damage to ensure both clubs are safe before reopening," the beach club's statement read. "Please do not enter either club until an official all-clear has been issued."

Meanwhile, nearby New York Beach Club announced that it would be allowing Sun and Surf members to use club amenities for free with display of their Sun and Surf club ID.

In a statement, Blakeman said he had been in contact with Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine and would coordinate on regional response in other parts of Long Island if necessary. In total, there were about 200 firefighters at the scene Thursday night, fire officials said, from across 13 fire departments, county hazmat teams, police department emergency personnel and county emergency management officials.

Elsewhere on Long Island, a concert at Jones Beach was disrupted by a shelter in place order Thursday, while City of Long Beach officials confirmed Friday that there had been no reports of damage within the city limits.