Waterspout Spotted Off Clearwater Beach

Visitors to Clearwater Beach got a surprise Tuesday morning when a waterspout appeared in the distance.

The waterspout formed off the north part of the beach and caused “no issues, no injuries,” Clearwater Public Safety stated in an email to media. The spout “dissipated without incident.”

Waterspouts are “pretty common, especially in the summertime,” National Weather Service meteorologist Robert Garcia told Patch in a previous interview. “They’re one of the contributors to our high tornado density.”

Garcia explained that Florida technically has the highest density of tornado activity of any state due in large part to the number of waterspouts that kick up over its waters.

See Also:

• Florida Waterspouts: What You Need to Know
• Video: 3 Children Injured When Waterspout Flips Bounce House
• Rip Current Advisories Go Up in Tampa Bay

“The good news with waterspouts is they tend to be weak,” Garcia said. That was the case with Tuesday’s spout in Clearwater.

But, that’s not always so, Garcia warned. “They can be a bit of a destructive force.”

With winds in the 30 to 60 mph range, waterspouts are very capable of destruction. In May, a bounce house set up along the beach in Fort Lauderdale was picked up into the air, tumbled and then deposited about 150 feet away. Three children were injured in the incident.

Waterspouts aside, the National Weather Service is warning beachgoers to be mindful of rip currents along the Bay Area’s coastal region, as well. There is a moderate risk of rip current formation on Tuesday. It is unclear whether the risk will persist into Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of the City of Clearwater