What is a waterspout? Definition explained as Hollywood Beach tourists evacuated after natural occurrence

An unexpected waterspout hit Hollywood Beach on Friday, April 21. Tourists were evacuated from the beach as it moved over water, just two to three miles offshore before it hit the beach. The force of the spout knocked over a woman who was walking near the Hollywood Beach Walk.

The spout was connected to a rogue cloud from a thunderstorm in the Atlantic Ocean.

Waterspouts are described as a whirling column of water mist and air. They are like tornadoes, but form over water.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service, the best way to avoid a waterspout is to move at a 90-degree angle to its movement. They claim that some of the spouts can be as dangerous as tornadoes, so it is not wise to go investigate them.

A video showed tourists and locals running away from the spout, seeking shelter, around 1 p.m. The video has captured the interests of several people and has been trending on Twitter for quite some time.

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The waterspout hit Hollywood Beach on Friday was tornadic

Waterspouts are of two kinds: fair-weather and tornadic. The one that hit Hollywood Beach was a tornadic spout. These kinds of spouts are tornadoes that form over water or move from land to water. They form mostly in tropical and subtropical areas, but were reported in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica, among other places.

They are often confused with land tornadoes because they share similar characteristics. Associated with severe thunderstorms, tornadic waterspouts are more frequent than not, accompanied by high winds and seas. Large hail and lightning also add themselves to the mix sometimes.

The National Weather Service issues a tornado warning when a spout moves ashore in the United States. The spout can cause a lot of damage and injuries if it is left unchecked and not acknowledged.

Hence, a tornado warning was issued for a portion of Broward County on Friday for some time.

The spout reportedly moved onto Hollywood Beach around 12:45 pm and dissipated soon after, according to National Weather Service officials. Numerous beachgoers claimed that the spout led to sand flying everywhere and people panicking.

One witness said:

"It was a waterspout. It came, started about eight blocks down the way and then worked its way in came on land right here. I've never seen that. I've been here since 1986. I've never seen that in my entire life."

Laurie Mensing, a tourist from Minnesota, said that the phenomenon was "amazing." She claimed that she had never seen anything like the spout and that it started "way out in the ocean." She called the entire event "pretty cool."

A couple visiting Miami from Oregon said that they witnessed the entire tornado-looking spout when it started to form and then came downward. The wife, Molly Hansbrough, said that "it was very exciting, especially when you saw it crashing into the water." She said:

"Then we get the warning on our phone, there's an alert for the next half hour for a tornado."

Another witness, Rob Kavalauskas, captured the entire thing on camera and said that he was riding his bike when he noticed the spout. He pulled over and "started recording."

The spout reached the coast and then quickly dissipated. Although the entire incident didn't last long, forecasters predicted that there might be more on Friday.

NWS Miami tweeted:

"Additional waterspouts may be possible today as the atmosphere remains conducive. Waterspouts can form very quickly and also dissipate quickly as well."

The spout scared a few people, whereas others were amazed by the phenomenon. Social media users took to Twitter to share videos and photographs of the phenomenon with others. The spout lasted for a short period of time and seemingly did structural damage to the Hollywood Beach beachwalk.