NEW YORK (PNN) - September 8, 2012 - Damaging storms that spawned tornadoes in New York City, darkened tens of thousands of homes in the Washington, D.C. area, and flooded New England streets turned a normal day of rest into a day of cleaning up for many East Coast residents on Sunday.
No serious injuries were reported when a twister hit a beachfront neighborhood on the edge of New York City on Saturday, and a second, stronger tornado followed moments later about 10 miles away. Residents got advance notice but still the storm took people by surprise.
The unsettled weather, part of a cold front that crossed over the eastern seaboard, toppled trees and power lines and damaged buildings as it passed through the region. Wind gusts reached 70 mph in some places.
By Sunday morning, about 15,000 customers were without electricity in northern Virginia, according to Dominion Virginia Power. Pepco reported outages to more than 5,000 customers in the District of Columbia and Maryland's Prince George's and Montgomery counties. BGE reported about 1,500 outages, mostly in Prince George's and Anne Arundel counties.
In New York City, videos taken by bystanders showed a funnel sucking up water, then sand, and then small pieces of buildings as the first tornado moved through the Breezy Point section of the Rockaway peninsula in Queens.
The second twister hit to the northwest, in the Canarsie section of Brooklyn, but also near the water about seven minutes later. The National Weather Service said winds were up to 110 miles per hour, and several homes and trees were damaged.
Tornadoes are traditionally rare in the New York City area, but they have occurred with regularity in recent years. A small tornado uprooted trees on Long Island last month.
