Waterspouts seen in Bayou La Batre, Coden

BAYOU LA BATRE, Ala. (WALA) - Wednesday the National Weather Service was flooded with reports of waterspouts. Images sent to FOX10 show as many as four clustered together. Jeff Garmon with the NWS said its rare.

Susan Moran was getting ready for lunch in Bayou La Batre when the weather took a turn.

"It got really windy; really, really black," said Moran.

Susan Moran said what happened Wednesday off Bayou La Batre was something you had to see to believe. She said it looked like a finger reaching from the sky.

"I’m thinking God’s pointing his finger because it really was different and unique," said Moran.

Moran isn't the only one who took notice. Pearl Bosarge said the streets outside of her bait shop were filled with onlookers.

"I see these three big ole things in the water coming out of the sky going out into the water looking like a bunch of smoke," said Bosarge.

Waterspouts look a lot like tornados but Garmon said they have a different formation process.

"A tornado forms from the cloud base down. Waterspouts typically build from the surface up," said Garmon.

There was nothing typical about what those in Bayou La Batre, Coden and Dauphin Island reported Wedneday.

Garmon said there is a waterspout season, and it doesn't start until June.

"It just so happens today it’s just a coincidence. I think we had all the factors line up," said Garmon.

Images show as many as four waterspouts side by side.

Some reported as many as six waterspouts in the same area.

"We don't tend to get them clustered like that especially the number of waterspout reports we got today," said Garmon.

Garmon estimated one of the spouts at 90 miles per hour.

Witnesses were also shocked with how close they were to land.

"I've seen them at a distance before but never that close. And not that many at one time," said Moran.

Garmon said waterspouts can come onto land, but usually dissipate after about 100 yards.
Some waterspouts can be as powerful as an EF1 or EF2 tornado.

He said, "100 miles an hour over the water can easily flip a small boat.”

Witnesses said as fast as the waterspouts formed, they were gone but they will remain a scary memory.

"I’ve lived here all my life and never seen one," said Bosarge.

Garmon said if you are out in the water and you see a spout start to form steer away at a 90 degree angle from the rotation.