FDNY firefighters assess damage from possible tornado

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Firefighters are assessing damage caused by a cyclone that struck a beachfront neighborhood in New York City.

Videos taken by bystanders show a funnel cloud hurling sand and debris in the air as it moved through the Breezy Point section of the Rockaway peninsula in Queens on Saturday.

A Fire Department spokesman says there were power lines down and possibly other damage.

The general manager of the Breezy Point Surf Club tells The Associated Press the storm ripped up cabanas and even picked up industrial-sized metal trash bins.

The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for Queens and Brooklyn as the storm moved through the city. It expired at 11:30 a.m.

The service says radar detected a "strong rotation" in the storm.