The tri-state area encountered wild weather as two twisters tore through the region.
An F-0 tornado swept through Breezy Point, Queens and another – an F-1 tornado landed in Canarsie, Brooklyn.
The ominous and rare site of a twister taking shape off the western tip of the Rockaway Peninsula stunned residents.
"It was like surreal, like a twister and it was coming right at us," said one Breezy Point resident.
The storm started as a water spout -- spinning at sea during a severe weather cell. Video posted to YouTube shows it touching down as a tornado, at the Breezy Point Surf Club.
The National Weather Service estimates wind gusts around 70 miles per hour and many of the 500 or so wooden cabanas here didn't stand a chance.
It only lasted a few minutes, powerful and intense. The storm knocked down some cinder block walls and several life guards rode it out inside that a tiny guard cabin.
"We looked through that small gap and we were lifted off light as paper. We waited for about a minute half and everything was just destroyed," said one life guard.
The funnel cloud was about 50 yards wide and sliced a path about 600 yards long through the community knocking out power and sending debris into a softball field. It did more than just damage though, wiping away years of memories for long time owners like Janet Rye.
"It's just very upsetting, very upsetting." I've been in these cabanas a long time and it's upsetting to see it ruined'" said Rye.
Reshaping as a water spout on the other side of the peninsula -- NWS officials believe the funnel cloud may have picked up and touched down again near the Belt Parkway -- where trees were uprooted.
Back at Breezy Point, luckily no one was hurt and a community cleans. Ms. Rye even found an old family clock in the mess of debris -- and it's still ticking.
"Guess what is alive -- the horse clock -- and it just went off," said Rye.
In time she hopes to put all these pieces back together.
Sunday, May 19 2013 7:26 PM EDT2013-05-19 23:26:29 GMT
The NYPD are looking for the suspect who shot and killed a 14-year-old girl on a Queens MTA bus Saturday night. The incident happened around 8:50 p.m. on Sutphin and Rockaway Boulevard
The NYPD are looking for the suspect who shot and killed a 14-year-old girl on a Queens MTA bus Saturday night. The incident happened around 8:50 p.m. on Sutphin and Rockaway Boulevard
Sunday, May 19 2013 4:05 PM EDT2013-05-19 20:05:22 GMT
The federal judge presiding over civil rights challenges to the stop-and-frisk practices of the New York Police Department has no doubt where she stands with the government.
The federal judge presiding over civil rights challenges to the stop-and-frisk practices of the New York Police Department has no doubt where she stands with the government.
Thursday, May 16 2013 6:47 PM EDT2013-05-16 22:47:54 GMT
The MTA and Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the A train subway will run its route all the way to the Rockaways starting May 30, seven months after Superstorm Sandy washed away the track support bed.
The MTA and Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the A train subway will run its route all the way to the Rockaways starting May 30, seven months after Superstorm Sandy washed away the track support bed.
Thursday, May 16 2013 6:06 PM EDT2013-05-16 22:06:34 GMT
A smuggling ring that made a fortune selling more than a million cartons of untaxed cigarettes in New York may have funneled some of the illicit proceeds to terrorist groups, authorities said.
A smuggling ring that made a fortune selling more than a million cartons of untaxed cigarettes in New York may have funneled some of the illicit proceeds to terrorist groups, authorities said.
Thursday, May 16 2013 1:17 PM EDT2013-05-16 17:17:42 GMT
Several New York lawmakers are sounding the alarm about security and safety lapses at day care centers across New York City.
Several New York lawmakers are sounding the alarm about security and safety lapses at day care centers across New York City. In a report released Thursday, dozens of daycares cited by the Dept. of Health for serious and critical health code violations since 2010, have not fixed the problems and continue to operate without penalty.
Wednesday, May 15 2013 11:08 PM EDT2013-05-16 03:08:35 GMT
A judge in Manhattan put the brakes on the so-called Taxi of Tomorrow because the Nissan-built minivan does not come in a hybrid version -- a violation of the city code.
A judge in Manhattan put the brakes on the so-called Taxi of Tomorrow because the Nissan-built minivan does not come in a hybrid version -- a violation of the city code.
Tuesday, May 14 2013 9:54 PM EDT2013-05-15 01:54:43 GMT
The FDNY must subject itself to court supervision for five years to ensure it does not discriminate against blacks and Hispanics in its hiring practices, a federal appeals court said.
The FDNY must subject itself to court supervision for five years to ensure it does not discriminate against blacks and Hispanics in its hiring practices, a federal appeals court said.
Tuesday, May 14 2013 3:59 PM EDT2013-05-14 19:59:22 GMT
USDA photo
The tree-killing Asian longhorned beetle has been eradicated from Manhattan and Staten Island, but remains a problem in Brooklyn, Queens, and parts of Long Island.
The tree-killing Asian longhorned beetle has been eradicated from Manhattan and Staten Island, but remains a problem in Brooklyn, Queens, and parts of Long Island, according to state agriculture officials.
