Thoughts on Waterspouts
By Gannon Medwick
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Lazy summer showers often produce waterspouts - or rotating columns of air - across the marshlands, sounds, and Atlantic waters adjacent to Eastern Carolina’s land areas. Several waterspouts were sighted across coastal Carteret County and the waters near the Outer Banks Monday 7 / 20 and Tuesday 7 / 21. Waterspouts:
- usually feature winds less than 80mph (consistent with the rotating winds of an EF0 tornado).
- can capsize boats.
- can be as dangerous as a weak tornado if they go onto affect small portions of coastal lands.
- usually dissipate quickly upon impacting land and tend to do only minimal / extremely localized damage to trees / loose objects.
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