Photos: Waterspout Damages Mail Truck on Skyway

A waterspout that formed near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge Sunday morning stopped traffic as it crossed over the roadway, causing some damage in its wake.

The spout was captured on camera by Meghan Benoit. The formation developed just before 10 a.m., crossed the road and managed to damage a U.S. Mail tractor trailer before dissipating.

Benoit told Patch the waterspout formed as she was driving over the bridge.

“(We) had to stop, (because) it was over the road,” she said.

The Florida Highway Patrol confirmed damage to the mail truck when the spout struck the vehicle on the northbound approach to the Skyway on Interstate 275. The driver, the patrol said, was not injured.

See Also:

• Florida Waterspouts: What You Need to Know

Waterspouts are fairly common occurrences in Florida, National Weather Service meteorologist Robert Garcia said. “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.

“The good news with waterspouts is they tend to be weak,” Garcia said.

But, that’s not always the case, he 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.

The National Weather Service forecast for Sunday calls for a mostly sunny day with a high in the mid-80s. Similar weather is expected heading into Monday.

Photos of the waterspout courtesy of Meghan Benoit. Photos of damage to the mail truck from the Florida Highway Patrol