Local News

Rare Occurence: Waterspout Comes Ashore in Galveston [WATCH]

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Tony Maples Photography

 

Galveston experienced a weather phenomenon on July 17th called a waterspout. These occurrences do not normally make it to shore, but visitors spotted the funnel briefly making it to land along the seawall.

What exactly is a waterspout? The Weather Channel explains that they’re basically tornadoes over water. Florida has the most occurrences of these weather wonders due to its warm water and moisture in the air. Heat also helps to form waterspouts, which can even form on lakes.

The Weather Channels says that in general, waterspouts are referred to as “weak.” But when they’re associated with thunderstorms or are particularly mighty, “waterspouts have winds in excess of 100 m.p.h. and are hazards to boaters and anyone else on the water.”

The National Weather Service was able to warn the people of Galveston as it approached on Sunday due to spotting “a weather cell [that] hovered northeast of the causeway.” They asked everyone from 61st to 91st street to take cover until it passed.

Though it could have been dangerous, it’s an extraordinary and rare sight to behold. Luckily, it was caught on video, so we could see and learn about this weather oddity.