Tybee Ocean Rescue Spots Waterspout

An impressive waterspout was spotted this morning by the Tybee Island Ocean Rescue. The photo of the waterspout was taken by Lt. Todd Horne.

Waterspouts are basically tornadoes over water. They can have winds speeds up to 190mph, so they shouldn't be taken lightly. They actually can be quite dangerous.

Some experts say that "a significant fraction of the so-called Bermuda Triangle incidents are from waterspouts."

So...if you're out in the water on a boat, would you know what to do if a waterspout formed? Here's what to do.

First, waterspouts tend to come from clouds with a dark, flat bottom when there is just the first hint of rain. If a waterspout then forms and starts to head your way, you should try to escape by going at RIGHT ANGLES to its path.

If the waterspout is about to hit your boat, the best MIGHT be to dive overboard. Why? Well, flying debris is the big killer in tornadoes and waterspouts.

Experts say if you do dive before one its, you SHOULD be okay. But no one really knows what the water is doing right under a waterspout.

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Now, if you're curious about how a waterspout forms, here's the information.

The first sign can be seen from the air (airplane). There will be the formation of a dark spot on the ocean. This is when the air is moving in a circle and upward.

The second stage is when someone on a boat can see. You will feel the wind shift and maybe increase. Also, if you looked upward, you might see a funnel coming from a cloud overhead or off to one side.

The third stage is when the vortex reaches the ocean's surface. You may not see it at first. But when the wind speeds reach around 40mph, the wind begins to kick up spray in a circular pattern. You should be able to see the funnel now.

The fourth, or mature, stage is when the funnel reaches all the way from the cloud to the ocean. The funnel will be a really thin cloud of water droplets. Small waves will get kicked up, and the waterspout will leave a bubbly wake behind as it moves across the ocean.

In the fifth, and final stage, the vortex will weaken, the funnel will become shorter and maybe more tapered.