Tornadoes touch down in Queens, Long Island, as highways, streets flood from heavy rains

Two tornadoes touched down in Queens and Long Island after forming over the water, according to the National Weather Service.

The two tornadoes started as tornadic waterspouts and were spotted off the coast of Far Rockaway and in Atlantic Beach on Long Island as Thursday’s torrential rain forced officials to close highways across the city.

The tornadoes touched land between 6:30 and 7:00 p.m., officials said.

Videos posted to Instagram show the tornadic waterspouts, a rare weather phenomenon considered a tornado but occurring over water, which extended from the Queens shoreline as thunder boomed overhead.

The Long Island tornado tore through the Sun & Surf Beach Club in Atlantic Beach, causing “significant damage to numerous cabanas and buildings,” the business said on Instagram.

“Out of an abundance of caution, Silver Point and Sun & Surf will be temporarily closed until further notice,” the business posted on its website. “Please do not enter either club until an official all-clear has been issued.”

Mayor Mamdani warned New Yorkers of the potential for tornadoes in southeast Queens, advising anyone living in the area to shelter in interior, windowless rooms within sturdy buildings.

“Tornado winds are extremely strong and dangerous, and conditions can change quickly,” the mayor posted on X.

The storm, which was expected to dump about two inches of rain on the city, caused flooding that led to delays on the eastbound Jackie Robinson and Grand Central parkways.

The Long Island Expressway was closed at Francis Lewis Blvd. and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway was closed at Queens Blvd., according to the Office of Emergency Management.

FloodNet NYC sensors detected flooding in multiple locations across Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island and the Bronx, including major flooding in Canarsie and Springfield Gardens.

Social media put the storm’s effects on display, with videos of floodwaters leaving cars stranded on highways, stormwater runoff erupting onto city streets and waterfalls cascading onto the subway tracks at Penn Station.

A video posted by Yeshiva World News shows flooding at Chabad World Headquarters located on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, where a man wearing waders can be seen rescuing books from the rising tide.