Waterspout roars ashore, sends beachgoers dashing for cover

Zachary Rosenthal
·2 min read

On a stormy Florida day, beachgoers at Fort Myers Beach found themselves fleeing a waterspout as it moved onshore, causing light damage to property and enveloping two people.

As a large storm system brought winter weather to the northeastern United States on Saturday, March 12, parts of the Southeast were being struck by severe weather, including tornadoes.

At first, people on the beach seemed to be admiring and cheering on the developing waterspout, which was clearly visible as it churned up the ocean water just offshore. However, the mood soured as the rotating column of water quickly made a beeline for the shore, with screams of fear drowning out the music playing on the beach.

When a waterspout moves onshore, meteorological nomenclature dictates that the vortex is renamed a tornado. Once this one moved onto the beach, it tossed sand and debris into the air as it passed over the Lani Kai Island Resort, according to reporting from the Fort Myers News-Press.

Video from that day shows two people getting swallowed up by the storm as it raced ashore. Thankfully, according to WINK News Meteorologist Dylan Federico, both were uninjured.

One waitress at a local beachfront restaurant, Shucker's At The Gulfshore, had a great view of the tornado as it started tossing items into the air as it moved ashore.

"I was just trying to check out a patch at a table because it started to rain a little heavy," said Lisa Wanjiku, a waitress at Shucker's told the Fort Myers News-Press. "When I turned around, it was picking up chairs and strollers, and trashcans were flying all over the place."

Thankfully, the damage sustained was minimal, and the tornado was rated an EF0 with peak winds of around 65 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

"We've enjoyed the atmosphere and the weather here in Fort Myers Beach for years now. Of course, we know it can change on occasion, and that's what happened today," Dale Groombridge, a tourist visiting from Canada, told WINK News.

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