Long Island weather: Dry day after overnight storm causes damage in Suffolk
Firefighters at a house fire in Yaphank on Wednesday morning during a thunderstorm. Credit: Stringer News Service
A thunderstorm pelted Long Island with heavy winds and torrential rain overnight and caused scattered damage across Suffolk County, including downed trees and at least two fires believed to be caused by lightning strikes, police officials said.
The National Weather Service in Upton also confirmed that a weak tornado touched down late Tuesday in Ronkonkoma.
Wednesday's forecast calls for clear skies with temperatures reaching a high of the mid- to upper 70s and dipping into the lower 60s during the evening hours, forecasters said.
“Much drier conditions compared to what we had last night,” said News 12 Long Island meteorologist Rich Hoffman. The rest of the week and the weekend should be mostly dry.
A home in Yaphank on Yaphank Avenue near Southview Court caught fire shortly before midnight, Suffolk County police said. Police also responded to downed wires on fire on Mohican Avenue in Ronkonkoma between Iroquois and Seneca streets at 11:37 p.m., officials said. Both incidents were likely caused by a lightning strike in the area, police said.
The storm also took down a tree on Levey Boulevard in Wyandanch near 30th Street and another on northbound Deer Park Avenue in Babylon south of Sylvan Road, police said.
The weather service issued flood advisories overnight for Suffolk County. A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for western Suffolk as well.
“There were strong thunderstorms last night, so we do have some trees down,” Hoffman said Wednesday morning. “Still some flooded roadways out there.”
Nassau County police did not report any weather-related incidents.
Unofficial rainfall totals posted Wednesday morning show that Nassau's highest amounts were 1.92 inches in Thomaston and 1.75 inches in Syosset. In Suffolk, the highest amounts were 1.77 inches at Montauk Airport and 1.64 inches in Ridge.
The weather service issued a small craft advisory for hazardous seas of 3 to 6 feet off the South Shore until 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Temperatures will remain unseasonably high again Thursday in the mid- to upper 70s, although thunderstorms are possible late Thursday evening, said David Stark, a weather service meteorologist.
Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.
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