The National Weather Service has confirmed an EF-0 tornado touched down over parts of Suffolk County on Friday. Storms also caused massive flooding on Long Island's highways and parkways.
Rain began on Long Island in the late morning, mainly in southern Nassau County, with flood advisories issued well ahead of a line of storms that headed east from New Jersey. More storms developed off the Jersey shoreline and headed north towards Long Island. Heavier rain began around noon, along the south shore and spread quickly over most of Long Island.
Around 1:35 p.m., a tornado warning was issued for Suffolk County, specifically for areas near Robert Moses State Park. The warning was soon cancelled, before another warning was reissued right before 2 p.m. for Suffolk County, focusing on areas near Islip with a radar-indicated tornado moving north.
After assessing the damage, a tornado was confirmed by the National Weather Service. The tornado touched down in Great River and crossed the Connetquot State Park and Bohemia County Park before lifting near Ocean Ave in Ronkonkoma. It was rated an E-F0, the lowest classification of tornadoes on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Winds were estimated to be up to 85 mph. Damage along the path was noted near Oakdale, and Bohemia just south of Vets Highway.
It was the first tornado on Long Island since an EF-0 was spawned by Tropical Storm Irene, and the first non-tropical cyclone tornado since the Islip Terrace EF-1 in July 2007.
Heavy rain flooded various parts of Nassau and Suffolk Counties after a couple of hours of downpours. Water was up to car doors on the Southern State Parkway in North Bay Shore, and Sunrise Highway in Islip Terrace. Post Ave in Westbury Village was shut down due to flooding for nearly its entire length from the Northern State Parkway to the L.I.R.R. station. Flooding was noted in the city as well, especially at the Kew Gardens interchange in Queens, and along most of the Belt Parkway.
Rain totals ranged from a half inch to over two inches.
