Watch: Large waterspouts spotted near Destin leave residents in awe
People took to social media to share some impressive videos of the waterspout seen near Destin
Waterspout moves just off beach in Destin, Florida
Video captures a large waterspout moving just off a beach in Destin, Florida. (@Matt_Beach9/Twitter)
DESTIN, Fla. - Large waterspouts were spotted Tuesday morning off the coast of Destin, Florida, and Miramar Beach, with people taking to social media to share some impressive videos.
The National Weather Service office in Mobile, Alabama, said storms off of Destin produced a large waterspout just offshore. The storm seemed to be moving parallel to the coast of Miramar Beach.
Officials warned boaters to use caution Tuesday morning since other storms could also produce waterspouts.
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The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office shared a video of the large waterspout seen off of Matthew Boulevard and Highway 98 in Destin.
Waterspout seen off highway in Destin, Florida
Video shows a waterspout seen off of Matthew Blvd. and Highway 98 in Destin, Florida early Tuesday morning.
Another video captured from someone's boat showed the waterspout spinning over the water.
Waterspout forms in Destin, Florida
Video shows a waterspout out of Destin, Florida early Tuesday morning.
A waterspout is a "funnel which contains an intense vortex, sometimes destructive, of small horizontal extent and which occurs over a body of water," according to Dr. Joseph Golden, a waterspout authority at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
While many believe a waterspout is simply a tornado over water, this is only partially true. According to NOAA, waterspouts come in a couple of different types: tornadic and fair weather.
Waterspout seen forming over Miramar Beach in Florida
Video captures a waterspout forming over Miramar Beach in Florida Tuesday morning.
A tornadic waterspout typically begins as a true tornado that was spawned by a thunderstorm over land, which then moves out over the water and becomes a waterspout. Tornadic waterspouts may be quite large and can cause considerable damage to anything in their path.
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The more common type, a fair-weather waterspout, is one that develops over open water. Fair-weather waterspouts form at the surface of the water and rise upward in association with warm water and high humidity in the lower portion of the atmosphere. This type of waterspout is generally small, brief and less dangerous than a tornadic waterspout.