An enormous waterspout was spotted off the coast of Florida this month. Waterspouts can be as destructive as tornadoes and just as unpredictable. Early Tuesday morning a waterspout formed in the waters of Destin, Florida. Although the residents of this oceanside town are used to seeing waterspouts, this one was one that caused alarm.
The sheer size of the waterspout wowed residents. Onlookers commented as the waterspout slowly moved along the waters. One person said the waterspout looked like a tornado. Rita McCoy Hillstead squandered: “Hmmm at what point are they going to call those a tornado and alert the people?” Bill Rice said, “We videoed it at Walmart this morning going east, really big.”
What are they?
Tornadic waterspouts are tornadoes that either form in the water, or move from the land to the water. They usually occur when it is storming and can bring high seas and lightening along with it. They occur because of large difference in temperature between the water and the air. This, however, was simply a fair weather waterspout. Explained by NOAA: “Fair weather waterspouts are wind-fed funnels that began on the water surface and work their way up… they normally move very little.”
Spotted in Florida:
The recent enormous waterspout spotted off the coast of Florida caused alarm not just because of its size, but also because of how close it came to land. Eyewitnesses watched as it moved along the coast. It went from the waters near The Henderson Beach Resort & Spa over to the Matthew Boulevard and Emerald Coast Parkway.
‘Terrifyingly gorgeous‘
It was, according to Amanda Moore, “Terrifyingly gorgeous. I have never seen such a large waterspout. What a great shot!” During its course, it caused no damage. Neither on land, nor to vessels in the water.