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Several Injured on Cruise Ship Off of Northeast Coast Over Weekend Due to ‘Extreme Gust of Wind'

Passengers could be heard screaming in panic, while some held on to what appeared to be a bar

What to Know

  • Several people on a Norwegian Escape cruise ship headed to Florida were injured Sunday by "a sudden, extreme gust of wind," the company said
  • Norwegian Cruise says the ship "encountered unexpected weather in the form of a sudden, extreme gust of wind, estimated at 100 knots"
  • Storm Team 4 says the same storm that dumped snow on the tri-state and generated tornadoes across the South was responsible for the weather

Several people on a Norwegian Escape cruise ship headed to Florida were injured Sunday by "a sudden, extreme gust of wind," the company said.

According to Norwegian Cruise, the ship "encountered unexpected weather in the form of a sudden, extreme gust of wind estimated at 100 knots (115 mph), which resulted in the ship heeling to the port side."

"Several injuries were reported and those guests and crew received immediate attention or are being treated by the ship’s medical staff. There was no damage to the ship; she remains fully operational and continues her scheduled itinerary," the company said in a statement.

Photos and video provided to NBC 4 New York show the impact of the wind gusts, which left items on the cruise ship thrown about, including plates, liquor bottles and glasses, as well as what appeared to be toppled-over tables.

Passengers could be heard screaming in panic, while some held on to what appeared to be a bar and others slid across the floor trying to maintain their footing.

Storm Team 4 says the same storm that dumped snow on the tri-state and generated destructive tornadoes across the South was responsible for the 100-knot wind gust.

Radar data from Sunday night shows strong thunderstorms developed off the New Jersey coast and moved northeast toward the ship’s last reported location.

Storm Team 4 says the thunderstorms produced powerful straight-line winds that raced across the ocean at 100+ mph.

Several people along the New Jersey coast also reported hearing thunder on Sunday night.

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