Apparent waterspout spotted off Atlantic Beach; Lawrence residents told to shelter in place
The sighting comes after a wet and windy day across Long Island, with more rain and wind expected throughout the evening.
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An apparent waterspout spotted along the boardwalk in Atlantic Beach prompted a shelter-in-place order for residents in the Village of Lawrence Thursday afternoon.
The sighting comes after a wet and windy day across Long Island, with more rain and wind expected throughout the evening.
The scene was reminiscent of another waterspout spotted in August near the Sun and Surf Beach Club, about a mile from Thursday’s sighting. That incident coincided with a tornado touching down in Atlantic Beach.
Thursday’s sighting is still being investigated as officials work to determine exactly what happened.
Village of Lawrence Mayor Samuel Nahmias said the village is focused on keeping residents informed and calm while taking precautions given the recent severe weather in the area.
“The rest of the day is about further notifying residents and keeping them calm because no one wants to hear there could have been or there still could be a potential for a tornado,” Nahmias said. “We can’t take any chances given what’s happened to Atlantic Beach.”
The mayor said the shelter-in-place order was lifted shortly before 3 p.m.
Aside from a few power outages, no additional damage had been reported as of Thursday afternoon.
News 12’s Storm Watch team continues to monitor conditions across Long Island.
