GOLDEN BEACH, Fla. – The National Weather Service was on the ground in Golden Beach measuring the strength of Wednesday’s waterspout-turned-tornado, relatively weak, they say by tornado standards, but serious science.
So, how does a waterspout form? We asked Sean Miller of the National Weather Service, Miami.
“(When you have) things in the water that channel winds into circulation, they get some spin connected to a cloud base and if those conditions are favorable, the waterspout can persist for a while,” Miller said.
It lasted 9 minutes to be exact.
(Meet the Blums below whose waterspout video went viral.)
Another question? So, what does a waterspout become when it spins onto dry land ? A tornado.
Miller said this one was on the weaker end as far as tornadoes goes. They rate confirmed tornadoes on an Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale, based on the damage they cause. Miller said Wednesday’s was an EF-0 on a scale that goes up to an EF-5.
Maximum winds were 80 to 85 mph, so while weak by tornado standards.
In Golden Beach, it was strong enough to snap trees and break a big Golden Beach style gate, which is where it came ashore and then dissipated into the summer swelter.
There were also plenty of people out on their balconies taking in the spectacle and recording the moment on their cell phones since the view from Aventura allows for a bird’s eye view of Golden Beach.