Storms soak Northeast as possible tornadoes reported in New York, Delaware

Heavy rain and winds pounded the Northeast U.S. on Thursday as storms tore through a beach on Long Island, flooded a major New York freeway and knocked out power in parts of Delaware's capital city.

Photos and video shared on social media show debris thrown in the air and pummeling rain as a possible tornado touched down at Atlantic Beach on Long Island 's outer barrier. It tore apart a major beach club, leaving broken beach chairs and wood beams littered across the shoreline.

The Inwood Fire Department said dozens of cabanas were damaged or destroyed at the Sun and Surf Beach Club in Atlantic Beach. Inwood Fire Chief Josiyah Green said no one was trapped in any of the cabanas or had to be rescued at the club.

"Best I can call it is luck," Green said. "Just by the grace of luck that a lot of people weren't hurt here because this beach club is a very popular place during the summer."

"There are reports of people trapped in their vehicles due to flooding in the south shore, and first responders are assisting in their rescue," Blakeman said in a statement.

The National Weather Service had warned of waterspouts, tornado-like hazards that happen over water, in the area but wasn't able to immediately confirm a tornado on the beach.

Bryan Ramsey, a meteorologist for the weather service in New York, said the storm was moving East offshore Thursday evening and was expected to taper over the next several hours.

In other parts of New York, flooding caused part of the Long Island Expressway in Queens to close in both directions, according to New York City Emergency Management. Photos on social media show lines of stopped cars as emergency crew wade through the water.

A tornado touched down in Dover, Delaware , and caused significant damage across the city, the police department reported. Officials said no injuries had been reported in the city. The weather service confirmed that the tornado touched down in Dover shortly after 6 p.m. local time.

Sections of the roofs at the Days Inn and Super Lodge in Dover collapsed or were torn away, while doors, walls and other parts of the buildings were damaged, according to CBS News Philadelphia.

Dover Police Lt. Mark Hoffman said the damage in the city appeared consistent with a tornado.

"It would certainly appear that way based on the path of travel and the amount of damage that we've had," Hoffman said.

Photos and video online show fallen trees, downed power lines and flooded roads.

Kuimonie Goins of Greensboro, North Carolina, said she was staying at the Days Inn in Dover with her family when the storm intensified.