Windmill falls off the WindMill

Show Caption Hide Caption Windmill falls off the WindMill Windmill blades topple off the iconic restaurant during strong winds Monday night.

A Jersey Shore fixture — the windmill on the original WindMill restaurant in Long Branch — fell off the building Monday night.

Nobody was injured, according to Long Branch Police Sgt. Brian Garrett, when the windmill separated from the famous restaurant, which has been serving hot dogs on Ocean Boulevard since 1963.

Owner Steven Levine told the Asbury Park Press outside the restaurant that wind knocked the windmill from its perch. Wind gusts of 30 mph had been measured in the area, according to the National Weather Service.

The incident was reported by employees at about 9:30 p.m. No vehicles were damaged when the windmill fell onto Ocean Boulevard and the road was temporarily closed as the windmill was cleared from the roadway.

The windmill will sit in the parking lot on the south side of the restaurant, which a smiling Levine promised would open for business as scheduled Tuesday.

"I wouldn't want to disappoint anyone," he said.

Levine spoke with the Asbury Park Press just two months ago before a planned replacement of the iconic windmill's blades.

“The building’s been there for over 50 years. My family’s owned it coming up on 40 (years),” he said at the time. “Back in the '60s, someone was running around building windmills – I don’t have any idea why – but there are several buildings like this.”

This is a developing story. Check back with APP.com for updates.