Tornado?

[ricki]

Did anyone see a waterspout that turned into a tornado for several minutes last night around Boca Raton/Highland Beach. We were up in south Delray messing around in some kayaks when a moderate sized waterspout formed very near the shore several miles to the south. Unlike most waterspouts, it seemed to go on land and last for a while instead of rapidly falling apart. Waterspouts are common around here, could live without tornados chasing around on land.

[HIGHFLYN]

Originally Posted by RickI

Fantastic picture!

[ricki]

I can't take credit for it. I was looking around for something that looked similar. There have been waterspout warnings going up fairly often these days. Here's one for today:

Marine Weather Statement

MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
341 AM EDT WED AUG 23 2006

AMZ630-650-651-231600-
/X.NEW.KMFL.MA.S.0034.060823T0800Z-060823T1600Z/
BISCAYNE BAY-
COASTAL WATERS FROM JUPITER INLET TO DEERFIELD BEACH, FL OUT
20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM DEERFIELD BEACH TO OCEAN REEF, FL OUT 20 NM-
341 AM EDT WED AUG 23 2006

...HIGH RISK OF WATERSPOUTS THIS MORNING...

THE ENVIRONMENT IS FAVORABLE FOR WATERSPOUT FORMATION ACROSS THE NEAR
SHORE WATERS OF THE ATLANTIC AND BISCAYNE BAY THIS MORNING...DUE TO
A LIGHT WIND FLOW ALONG WITH HIGH LEVELS OF MOISTURE.

MARINERS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR WATERSPOUTS...WHICH CAN QUICKLY FORM
FROM DEVELOPING CLOUD LINES...SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS.
WATERSPOUTS CAN EASILY OVERTURN BOATS AND CREATE LOCALLY HAZARDOUS
SEAS. IF YOU ENCOUNTER A WATERSPOUT...MOVE AT NINETY DEGREES AWAY
FROM THE WATERSPOUT AND REPORT IT TO THE LOCAL COAST GUARD. THEY
WILL RELATE THE INFORMATION TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN
MIAMI FLORIDA.

$$

BAXTER

I can remember doing beach dives a 1/2 mile from shore and wondering about possibly being intercepted by some of these things. You can't out swim them and all I could come up with was to tied off to my dive flag line that would be tied to the bottom. Um, might work then again ... The good news is that they come and go rapidly and don't cover much surface area as a rule before they fizzle out.

Another time we were out boat tow hang gliding in Miami when about three popped up a few miles away. Stay there!