Cleanup underway after tornadoes touch down in Delaware and New York's Long Island

NEW YORK (AP) — Cleanup efforts and damage assessment were underway Friday in Delaware's capital and on Long Island, New York, after tornadoes touched down during storms that battered the Northeast with heavy rains and left dozens of people stranded in their cars during flash flooding.

Officials said there were no reports of any serious injuries.

The National Weather Service said a trained spotter reported a tornado in Dover, Delaware, during Thursday's storms. Photos and video on social media show the roof of a motel being blown off and damage to other buildings along Route 13 northeast of downtown.

In Atlantic Beach on Long Island, images posted on social media show a large funnel cloud over the water and small buildings torn apart at a beach club. The weather service confirmed a tornado touched down on the shore, saying it started as a waterspout over the Atlantic Ocean.

Weather service crews were going to view the Delaware and Long Island damage on Friday to determine the strengths and paths of the tornadoes.

Dover Mayor Robin Christiansen said a state of emergency was lifted Friday morning to allow residents and businesses to resume normal activities. Police urged residents to be patient and set aside extra time for travel.

“There is still debris throughout the city, and crews will be out working on cleanup, repairs, and restoring services. You may encounter blocked lanes, utility crews, emergency personnel, and other delays,” police said on social media.

On Long Island, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said first responders rescued people trapped in their vehicles during flooding.

In other parts of New York, flooding caused part of the Long Island Expressway in Queens to close in both directions, according to New York City Emergency Management. Photos on social media showed lines of stopped cars as emergency crews traversed the water.

In Jersey City, New Jersey, emergency crews rescued 69 people trapped in cars that were overtaken by flash flooding, said Mayor James Solomon. Emergency crews used small inflatable boats to reach people who were stranded.

In this photo provided by the City of Jersey City, a city official inspects a damaged tree in Jersey City, N.J., Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, after storms went through the area. (City of Jersey City via AP)

In this photo provided by the City of Jersey City, first responders try to rescue stranded people in Jersey City, N.J., Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, after storms went through the area. (City of Jersey City via AP)null

In this photo provided by the City of Jersey City, first responders try to rescue people stranded in Jersey City, N.J., Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, after storms went through the area. (City of Jersey City via AP)

In this photo provided by the City of Jersey City, first responders try to rescue people stranded in a flooded street in Jersey City, N.J., Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, after storms went through the area. (City of Jersey City via AP)

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Two U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employees were among eight killed in a small plane crash near the site of a remote aircraft-tracking radar in western Alaska, the U.S. military said.

The agency had chartered the plane, which crashed Thursday near its destination, the Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport, approximately 450 miles (725 kilometers) west of Anchorage, Alaska. The two pilots and six passengers were not immediately identified.

The twin-engine Cessna 441 had taken off from the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said Friday.

“This is a devastating loss for our military family and the communities we serve,” U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Robert Davis, commander of Alaskan Command, the Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region and Eleventh Air Force, said in a statement.

The NTSB and the FAA are investigating the crash. It happened in foggy weather, according to information compiled by a service that's part of the Flight Safety Foundation, a nonprofit.

The airport is a private military site. The radar site is managed by the Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center. It’s part of a network of remote radar sites that tracks aircraft operating in Alaska’s airspace and along its borders, the statement from Alaskan Command said.

The statement did not provide details on the specific work the individuals were doing.

Davis described those on board as “dedicated professionals carrying out a vital mission in a demanding environment. Our absolute priority right now is providing unwavering support to their families, friends and teammates during this devastating time. We are profoundly grateful for the swift and tireless response of our search and recovery professionals.”

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska posted online that the flight was operated by Security Aviation, an airplane charter company based in Anchorage.

An email was sent to the company Friday morning seeking comment.

“I join Alaskans in offering condolences as we learn of the plane crash in Cape Newenham,” Murkowski posted Thursday night. “I’ve traveled extensively with Security Aviation throughout Alaska, and have met many of their experienced pilots. I appreciate the U.S. Coast Guard, NTSB, Alaska State Troopers, and the Rescue Coordination Center for responding to the site. Alaska is praying for those on board, their loved ones, and the team at Security Aviation.”

In 1950, a continental defense radar station was built at Cape Newenham as part of the Distant Early Warning Line to warn of a Soviet attack during the Cold War, according to Coastview, a science education nonprofit that promotes understanding of the Alaska coast. Little remains of the former station today.

Associated Press writer Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this report.

FILE - The National Transportation Safety Board logo and signage are seen at a news conference at NTSB headquarters in Washington, Dec. 18, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)