Thursday, October 1, 2026
A tornado and strong thunderstorm touched down in Atlantic Beach on Aug. 20, causing extensive damage at two beach clubs in Atlantic Beach between 6:30 and 7 p.m.
The tornado was confirmed by the National Weather Service, then deemed it an EF-1 tornado with an estimated high wind of 97 mph.
Multiple videos began circulating online late Thursday, showing a clear funnel that touched down and produced significant damage at the Sun and Surf Beach Club and the Silver Point Beach Club in Atlantic Beach. It only lasted a few moments before it lifted.
The last time a recorded tornado touched down in Nassau County was nearly five years ago in November 2021.
“Yesterday at 7:11 p.m., we had a tornado touchdown in Atlantic Beach at the Sun and Surf Beach Club,” County Executive Bruce Blakeman said at the site of the storm. “There was extensive damage.”
Several large wooden beams were knocked down and 50 cabanas were hit. One person sustained a minor injury but did not need to go to the hospital. There were no casualties, Blakeman said.
The beach club will be closed today and will be taking things “day-by-day” to determine if it will be able to reopen, Blakeman added.
The Inwood Fire Department was the first to arrive on the scene and handled the emergency situation swiftly.
“This kind of storm is not something you plan for,” Blakeman told reporters. “Tornadoes form in an instant. It started over the ocean and made its way to land here in Atlantic Beach.”
Josiyah Green, chief of the Inwood Fire Department, shared the alarm came in from an automatic system in the cafeteria area of the Sun and Surf Beach Club. Upon arrival, the department checked each cabana for people who may be trapped inside.
Once there was confirmation of a structure collapse, rescue efforts transitioned to handle a “major emergency,” and several large fire department resources were brought in from across the county. A final search, Green said, ensured that everyone was accounted for.
