Video: Incredible 'tornadic waterspout' at Florida's New Smyrna Beach
Couple described being caught in waterspout
People at New Smyrna Beach captured video and photos of an impressive "tornadic waterspout" that started on the beach and then spun out into the Atlantic Ocean, according to the National Weather Service. FOX 35 viewers Damarys Gutierrez and Jimmy Stowe shared a video of them appearing to drive through the waterspout along the beach.
ORLANDO, Fla. - Florida and incredible videos seem to go hand in hand, whether it's a duel between an alligator and a snake, sharks swimming eerily close to people at the beach, a bear fight in someone's backyard, or an impressive waterspout at the beach.
On Saturday, people at New Smyrna Beach captured video and photos of an impressive "tornadic waterspout" that started on the beach and then spun out into the Atlantic Ocean, according to the National Weather Service and FOX 35's Ian Cassette.
The NWS defines a waterspout as a tornado that forms over water or one that moves from land to water, and usually forms during severe thunderstorms, according to the NWS website.
Must watch: Waterspout at New Smyrna Beach
Video captured over the weekend appears to show a brief tornado form on the beach at New Smyrna Beach before moving out into the ocean, then becoming a waterspout. The NWS told FOX 35's Ian Cassette that it was likely a "boundary-induced tornadic waterspout," which can form when there is a chance in air temperature or wind direction. The video, which was emailed to FOX 35, showed the powerful wind blowing sand across the beach.
Carl Stevens shared several photos of the waterspout with FOX 35. He said he was at New Smyrna Beach with a friend when he saw it spin over the roadway and across the beach.
FOX 35 viewers Damarys Gutierrez and Jimmy Stowe shared a video of them appearing to drive through the waterspout along the beach. The video is pointed toward the passenger window which is suddenly overtaken with sand and debris. Watch the video in the player above.
"Oh, my God! Oh my God, this is not cool!" the couple can be heard saying in the video.
They said they felt like their car was being sandblasted.
"It was a landspout, and then it became a waterspout," said Gutierrez.
The couple said it took them by surprise between 4 and 5 p.m.
"I think I was in shock right in the middle of it, and then I thought, 'Oh goodness, I hope we don’t get blown away, because it looked pretty intense," Gutierrez said.
Stowe added, "It was just crazy because everything got dark, and we couldn’t see hardly."
In the video, you can see a couple caught in the storm, a man on top of a woman, trying to protect her.
"He was sheltering her because they were outside caught in the sand storm," Gutierrez explained. "I said, ‘Oh, I hope she’s ok.’ I said a little prayer and hoped for the best, because when I was seeing the debris flying around – even a boogie board – I knew that people were right outside our vehicle because it just came out of nowhere."
No one was injured.