WATCH: Waterspout, Not Tornado, Hit Jersey Shore

No, that wasn’t a tornado that hit Long Beach Island on Tuesday. But it sure looked like one.

The National Weather Service confirmed that a “watersprout” - not a tornado - hit the Brant Beach area of Long Beach Island during a severe thunderstorm.

Indeed, no tornadoes touched down in New Jersey during a storm that toppled trees and flipped cars on Tuesday. Tornadoes are rare in New Jersey, and often get confused with watersprouts off the Jersey Shore, or “downbursts,” which are similar but not as destructive.

>>Related:

• UPDATE: Video Captured Of Watersprout On Long Beach Island
• No, That Wasn’t A Tornado That Flipped Cars in New Jersey

Waterspouts typically have the same characteristics as a land tornado, and they’re associated with severe thunderstorms, often accompanied by high winds and seas, large hail, and frequent dangerous lightning, according to the National Weather Service.

However, waterspouts typically dissipate rapidly when they make landfall, and rarely penetrate far inland, according to the National Weather Service.

This watersprout did blow out the windows of Island Surf & Sail in Brant Beach, and picked up some scattered debris, according to the National Weather Service. Jack Bushko, surf instructor at Island Surf & Sail, captured the video: