Boats and personal watercraft risk damage by water spouts, regardless of whether they are traveling at sea or docked in a marina. A spout isn’t likely to sink or otherwise destroy a large vessel (cargo ship, megayacht, etc) but it can still cause serious harm.
When boaters see one or more spouts, they should quickly travel at a ninety-degree angle to its path. If possible, avoid boating or return to port when the weather service issues tornado or thunderstorm warnings. Waterfront home owners and marinas should also take precautions.
Unlike tornadoes, water spouts can form on the water and rise upward, or start in the clouds and eventually reach the surface. Often the most dangerous type of spout forms in a thunderstorm’s clouds.
Last month a storm spawned four water spouts near Sunset Beach, CA. The L.A. Times reported that one damaged boats at a marina. Another spout was reported on the St. Johns River in Jacksonville last summer. After about forty minutes, it went on land and became a tornado, causing minor damage.
Water spouts have also occurred on the Great Lakes, usually during the late summer and early autumn. They were spotted on Lake Erie in 2006, 2004, and 2001. Four appeared simultaneously over Lake Huron in 1999. There have been several over Great Salt Lake in Utah as well.
Overall, tornadoes and water spouts hold many similarities, but also some noteworthy differences. They pose a danger to boaters and other people in or along the water, but taking the right precautions greatly reduces the risk.
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