Heavy Storm (Tornado?) in NYC

**PhilDernerJr** · 2010-09-16, 06:42 PM

Driving home on the Van Wyck North just as the storm started. Couldn't see 20 feet in front of me, whole car shaking heavily, crazy.

It calmed down a LITTLE bit, and then I came upon two overturned tractor trailers on the southbound side, one taking out a light pole that blocked two lanes on my side. Only one ambulance with one EMT on scene, with a crushed cab on one of the trucks and a partially crushed car under another.

I had to slowly make big turns around massive branches and a half dozen garbage pails all over the road. It was like I was in some video game. Never saw anything like it.

Here's the first flipped truck...

Here's the top of the 2nd one as I passed...

Here are two of the garbage pails I encountered. See how I have an open road? All that traffic is behind me.

All that damage took place within 20 minutes. Yikes. Hope those wrecked drivers are ok.

**Gerard** · 2010-09-16, 06:47 PM

Originally Posted by Phil D.

Driving home on the Van Wyck North just as the storm started. Couldn't see 20 feet in front of me, whole car shaking heavily, crazy.

It calmed down a LITTLE bit, and then I came upon two overturned tractor trailers on the southbound side, one taking out a light pole that blocked two lanes on my side. Only one ambulance with one EMT on scene, with a crushed cab on one of the trucks and a partially crushed car under another..

Yeah Ch 7 showed pictures of it from the traffic cameras. Looks wild!! Winds clocked at 80MPH in places. Quuens and Brooklyn rocked. LIRR suspended ALL SERVICE in BOTH directions due to trees and debris on the tracks. By the time it got to Eastern Nassau it had calmed down but as it approached it was scary as hell!! DARK skies and wild flashes of lightning!!

**PhilDernerJr** · 2010-09-16, 06:56 PM

This guy got a photo of the same truck but from the southbound lanes... http://plixi.com/p/45482791

**NIKV69** · 2010-09-16, 07:01 PM

I heard about a possible tornado and one fatality. Since I am out here in the land of flip flops can you guys post some of your first hand accounts?

**emshighway** · 2010-09-16, 07:01 PM

Tree fell on car on Eastbound GCP at Queens Blvd. One DOA.

**emshighway** · 2010-09-16, 07:03 PM

Tree fell on car on GCP at Queens Blvd. One dead. All you hear in Queens is sirens. Kind of glad I'm not working EMS anymore.

**Fighting_falcon_51** · 2010-09-16, 08:10 PM

In western Suffolk we got very heavy rain and winds.

**hiss srq** · 2010-09-16, 08:20 PM

Long Beach got pretty ferocious for about 10 miutes. I took a couple of pics of the leading edge of that thing and than locked me and the dogs inside. The winds picked up pretty hard. Sideways rain, a ton of lightning and than all in a matter of moments it was gone. No damage that I saw so far around Long Beach. Took a little spin to look. Normally if a gutter falls down someone calls LBFD around here though and I havent heard a siren.

**emshighway** · 2010-09-16, 09:39 PM

Ton of trees down around Juniper Valley Park. Woodhaven Boulevard closed at Forest Park. Now all you can hear are sirens and Helicopters.

**Gerard** · 2010-09-16, 10:12 PM

WOW the highways and roads of Queens are still a disaster and my old neighborhood Forest Hills was hit hard. Trees down and cars crushed everywhere!!

**hiss srq** · 2010-09-16, 10:27 PM

Between NoBama and this storm NYC has t heir work cut out for them tonight. That is for sure. The GCP I am hearing is still a literal train wreck and NYPD air units are all over the place working.

**emshighway** · 2010-09-16, 10:41 PM

What a shot:

**AirtrafficController** · 2010-09-16, 10:53 PM

I was tracking the line of super cells on NWS radar and boy were they impressive. I took a look out of the balcony to saw a green tint to the storm; a good indication it was strong. A few minutes later, I was hit with a strong thunderstorm squall with estimated winds of 50-60mph. Small hail was included. I took a walk down to Juniper Valley Park and made some pics. There were fallen trees and branches but nothing to indicate a tornado. NYPD helicopters were circling above the park apparently to deter looters I guess.

Clean cut: