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VIDEO: Waterspout forms over Lake Jesup near Sanford

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Updated  August 21, 2024 12:38pm EDT
Weather
FOX 35 Orlando

Must see: Waterspout forms over Lake Jesup

A waterspout formed over Lake Jesup near Sanford on Wednesday morning. FOX 35 Storm Team Meteorologist Brooks Garner captured video of the weather phenomenon while traveling over the State Road 417 bridge around 11:30 a.m.

SANFORD, Fla. - A waterspout formed over Lake Jesup in Seminole County on Wednesday morning. 

FOX 35 Storm Team Meteorologist Brooks Garner captured video of the phenomenon shortly before 11:30 a.m. while traveling over the State Road 417 bridge. 

The waterspout moved onshore in Sanford, approximately 2.25 miles southeast of the Orlando Sanford International Airport.

What is a waterspout?

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 distinguished waterspout authority at NOAA.

While many believe a waterspout is simply a tornado over water, this is only partially true. Depending on their formation, NOAA says waterspouts come in a couple of different types: tornadic and fair weather.

MORE WEATHER NEWS:

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.

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.

Orlando Weather Forecast: August 21, 2024

We've got a soupy southwest flow off the Gulf of Mexico today, resulting in muggy and stormy weather in Orlando.

Central Florida is expected to experience passing downpours and lightning storms throughout Wednesday midday into the evening, with rainfall totals ranging from 1 to 4 inches.

FOX Weather contributed to this report. 

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