Smith Island Waterspout Reaches Land, Damages Buildings: Watch

SMITH ISLAND, MD — A waterspout that formed in the Chesapeake Bay near Maryland's Smith Island came ashore Thursday, damaging buildings as residents scrambled for cover.

In a video posted to Facebook by Daniel Somers, a waterspout is seen moving across the water near Rhodes Point before reaching land and ripping a roof from a building. Images on social media showed damaged homes and debris scattered across the island; an online fundraiser has been established to help recovery efforts.

Smith Island, located in the Chesapeake Bay, is home to about 260 people and is Maryland's only inhabited island. It is only accessible by boat or helicopter.

It's unclear how many buildings were damaged and if anyone was injured.

Smith Island is home to the Smith Island Bakery, whose cake is the state's official dessert.

"We are still open for business, baking and shipping cakes," bakery staff posted on Facebook. "We were very lucky, and are doing fine."

The strength of the tornado has yet to be rated by the National Weather Service, the Washington Post reported.

A GoFundMe was set up to help with storm recovery and cleanup.

"Please consider donating to help the community members as they rebuild — 100 percent of the proceeds will go directly to those impacted by this tragedy," organizer Jay Fleming wrote.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, waterspouts fall into two categories: fair weather waterspouts and tornadic waterspouts.

Tornadic waterspouts form over water or move from land to water, and have the same characteristics as a land tornado. They are associated with severe thunderstorms and are often accompanied by high winds and seas, large hail, and frequent dangerous lightning.