World · Northeast storm systemTornadoes and Flash Floods Paralyze Northeast as NYC Subways FloodAired August 22, 2026 at 6:50 AM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00Tens of millions were under simultaneous0:02tornado and flash flood warnings on the0:04evening of August 20 as a single severe0:06storm system that had already flooded0:07streets and stranded cars spun up funnel0:10clouds. Radar indicated tornado0:11warnings, a building collapse and ground0:13stops [music] across the Mid-Atlantic0:15and Northeast. The watches stretched0:16from Washington D.C. to Philadelphia0:18through New Jersey and Pennsylvania0:20described [music] as lasting about0:21another couple hours into the evening0:23and expiring around 10:00 p.m. Eastern.0:25New York City's flash flood window0:27[music] ran 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.0:29Overlapping exactly when funnel clouds0:31were reported and Newark and the broader0:33New York City and Philadelphia corridor0:35>> [music]0:35>> braced for torrential rain and isolated0:37tornadoes. At 1.2 radar indicated0:40tornado warnings were active affecting0:41[music] Ohio, Kentucky, Wisconsin and0:43Maryland noted as radar indications not0:46confirmed on the ground. More than 100:47million people were covered by flash0:49flood warnings [music] that evening0:51including New York City while tens of0:53millions more were under tornado watches0:54at the same time. The overlap that put0:57roads, rails and airports under pressure0:59at once [music] with ground stops1:00reported. Rain already on the ground1:02made the warnings immediate. More than 41:04inches fell in Ohio with about 4 inches1:06[music] near Columbus and in Central1:07Ohio. Flooding that left vehicles stuck1:09in rising water. Forecasts added up to 51:12inches locally for the Northeast1:13corridor, 1 to 2 inches overnight for1:15New York City and Long Island [music]1:17and another 3 to 5 inches in the next 31:19days. The same system flooded streets in1:21Brooklyn and across northern New Jersey1:23and flooded New York City subway1:24stations. A waterspout east of New York1:27City came on shore and became [music] a1:28tornado at Atlantic Beach on Long Island1:30destroying about 30 cabanas at the Sun1:32and [music] Surf Beach Club. At least1:34100 people were at the club at the time.1:36Fire officials reported no serious1:38injuries. The damage prompted a Nassau1:40County state of [music] emergency with1:41heavy rain bringing flash flooding and1:43reported tornadoes across the broader1:45Northeast including Nassau County.1:47>> [music]1:47>> In Dover, Delaware a confirmed EF-1 with1:50peak winds of 105 mph struck the Days1:53Inn [music] and the Super Lodge on North1:54Dupont Highway causing partial roof loss1:57with debris scattered inside rooms and1:58windows blown out. The entire Super2:00Lodge was condemned, [music] displacing2:02occupants from 13 units, and three units2:04at the Days Inn were precautionarily2:06condemned, [music]2:07displacing three occupants. No injuries2:09were reported from the motel damage,2:11though three people were evaluated and2:13two were transported [music] for2:14unrelated emergencies. The Red Cross2:16assisted cleanup. Mayor Robin2:18Christensen declared a state of2:19emergency Thursday night that was lifted2:21early Friday morning, August 21, to2:23allow operations to resume. In2:27confirmed two tornadoes. The damage2:28south of Wrightsville around Eastern2:30York [music] High School was confirmed2:32as a tornado described as an EF2 with2:34winds to 120 mph pending final rating2:37from the State College weather office,2:39with sections of roof ripped off, HVAC2:41equipment damaged, [music] and the2:43auditorium significantly damaged with2:44part of its roof torn and wall bricks2:46shifted.2:47>> [music]2:47>> No injuries were reported at the school,2:49and no closure had been announced for2:51classes scheduled to start August 26. At2:544:30 p.m., a separate EF1 with maximum2:57winds estimated at 100 mph touched down2:59in Columbia. [music]3:01Lancaster County, where the three-story3:02former Keystone Fire Company building on3:04North 4th Street partially collapsed,3:06>> [music]3:06>> a second-story wall falling onto a3:08neighboring store with the roof torn3:09off. One minor injury was reported in3:11the Lancaster County area. Mayor Leo3:14Lutz declared a state of emergency3:15Thursday, [music] ratified by Lancaster3:17County Commissioners on August 21, who3:20also issued a disaster declaration to3:22distribute resources.3:23>> [music]3:24>> A shelter was initially opened and later3:26moved to the Manor Church in Lancaster,3:28while [music] the York County Office of3:29Emergency Management collected damage3:31reports for potential Small Business3:32[music] Administration and Federal3:34Emergency Management Agency assistance,3:36as the State College Office finalized3:38ratings and path lengths.3:40>> [music]3:40>> The warnings covered the corridor from3:41Washington to Philadelphia through New3:43Jersey into Pennsylvania and New York,3:45while the same system had already3:47dropped more than 4 inches near Columbus3:49and left [music] flood impacts from3:50Brooklyn and northern New Jersey south3:52to street level power line damage in3:53Dover and building damage in Lancaster3:55and York counties. The same day carried3:57concurrent extremes elsewhere. Midwest4:00flooding continued while about 60,0004:01customers were without power in4:03northwest Indiana and wind damage was4:05reported in Alabama. From Oklahoma to4:07Florida, a scorching heat wave brought4:08record temperatures with heat indices of4:10109° in [music] Dallas and 111° in New4:13Orleans. Flood and tornado response in4:15the east and Midwest on the same4:16calendar day as extreme heat in the4:18south. A separate tropical depression4:20developed south of Hawaii on the same4:22track as Hurricane Lala from the prior4:23week. [music] It was described as a4:25tropical depression with a chance to4:26become a tropical storm within 24 hours,4:28forecast [music] to reach near hurricane4:30intensity around 60 mph and to bring 54:33to 10 in of rain to the Big Island. What4:35remains unresolved carries the practical4:37[music] stakes for travel, housing, and4:38schools. Final verified rainfall totals4:41for Brooklyn, northern New Jersey, the4:42New York City and Long Island corridor,4:44central Ohio and Dover, and whether the4:46overnight 1 to 2 in broader 3 to 5 in4:483-day forecast verified. Repair4:50timelines for the 30 destroyed cabanas4:52at the Sun and Surf Beach Club. The4:54condemned Super Lodge with 13 units and4:56Days Inn with three units. The former4:58Keystone building on North 4th Street5:00and Eastern York High School and its5:01auditorium ahead of the August 26th5:03start. How long New York City subway5:05flooding, street closures, and ground5:06stops lasted and [music] when full5:08service was restored. When power will be5:10restored for the 60,000 customers in5:12northwest Indiana [music] and the full5:13accounting of Alabama wind damage.5:15Whether the depression south of Hawaii5:17became a near hurricane tropical storm5:19and what rainfall actually reached the5:21Big Island. And the final National5:22Weather Service ratings and path lengths5:24for Dover at 105 mph, Columbia at 1005:27mph, and York County pending as EF2 at5:30120 mph.5:32Like and follow for more stories that5:34matter.Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗