Tornadoes, torrential rainfall and powerful winds have battered parts of the northeastern United States, causing flash floods, damaging infrastructure and disrupting transportation in New York and Delaware.

In New York City, heavy rain on Thursday flooded roads and subway stations, forcing the closure of major highways and disrupting train services across the city.

Flooding led to the closure of parts of the Long Island Expressway and Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, while vehicles were stranded on flooded roads in Queens and Long Island.

Water was also reported to have poured onto platforms at Penn Station. In Jersey City, emergency crews reportedly rescued 69 people trapped in vehicles overwhelmed by flash floods.

The storms also triggered tornado warnings across New York City, Long Island and other parts of the tri-state area on Thursday evening.

The National Weather Service said two waterspouts came ashore between 6:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., one in Queens and another in Nassau County.

A waterspout is a rotating column of air that forms over water and can become a tornado when it moves onto land.

On Friday, the weather service classified the event near Atlantic Beach on Long Island as a tornado.

Michael Uttaro, Nassau County chief fire marshal, said the tornado struck the Sun & Surf Beach Club in Atlantic Beach, damaging at least 50 beach cabanas.

The club was reportedly hosting a party attended by between 200 and 300 people when the storm hit, although guests had begun evacuating before the tornado struck.

Images shared on social media showed a large funnel over the water and damaged structures at the beach club.

Authorities said investigations were ongoing to determine whether another waterspout came ashore about a mile east of the site.

The storms also caused widespread flooding across other parts of the tri-state area, while a possible lightning strike was blamed for an attic fire at a home in Summit, New Jersey.

In Delaware, a tornado was also reported in Dover during Thursday evening's storms.

Robin Christiansen, mayor of Dover, said a state of emergency declared after the storm was lifted on Friday morning to allow residents and businesses to resume normal activities.

Police warned residents to expect delays as crews cleared debris, repaired infrastructure and worked to restore services.

The severe weather occurred as thunderstorms moved across the northeastern US, bringing heavy rainfall, strong winds and flash flooding.

Authorities in New York urged residents to take shelter immediately after tornado warnings were issued for Queens and other areas.

The storms disrupted travel across the region, with flooded roads, damaged structures and stranded motorists reported in several locations.

Bruce Blakeman, Nassau County executive, said first responders rescued people trapped in vehicles during the flooding.

Emergency officials continued to assess the extent of the damage and clear affected roads and infrastructure on Friday.