JAMAICA BEACH, Texas – Some residents along the coast of southeast Texas experienced quite a sight Monday morning just offshore.
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The City of Jamaica Beach shared a photo of an apparent large waterspout spotted in the Gulf just off the beach.
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Water spout that came assure close to San Luis Pass
Other people shared photos with KPRC 2 via Click2Pins of the waterspout which was seen near San Luis Pass on Galveston Island.
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Water spout over the Gulf - Galveston west end
On top of the waterspout near the west end of Galveston Island, several other funnels were seen up by Baytown.
What are waterspouts and how do they differ from regular tornadoes?
There are two different types of waterspouts.
The first kind are tornadic waterspouts, which are literally as they sound, tornadoes over water. They form in the same way as traditional tornadoes and are associated with severe thunderstorms.
The more common type of waterspouts are known as fair weather waterspouts. These form during fair and relatively calm weather, often during the early to mid morning and sometimes during the late afternoon.
They usually form along dark flat bases of a line of developing cumulus clouds.
Unlike traditional tornadoes, fair weather waterspouts start on the water and develop upward.
According to the National Weather Service, by the time the funnel is visible, a fair weather waterspout is near maturity.
Fair weather waterspouts are typically weak. That being said, if they move ashore, they can still cause damage and potentially injuries to people.
“Fair weather waterspouts form in light wind conditions so they normally move little. If a waterspout moves onshore, the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning as some of them can cause significant damages and injuries to people. Typically, fair weather waterspouts dissipate rapidly when they make landfall, and rarely penetrate far inland,” the National Weather Service says.
If you see a waterspout while you are out on a boat, don’t move closer to investigate. Waterspouts can definitely pose a danger to boaters and should be avoided.