PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A waterspout in the Gulf of Mexico moved ashore onto Clearwater Beach, sending "beach-related" items flying into the air, injuring two people.
A small #waterspout moved ashore quickly this afternoon on #ClearwaterBeach near lifeguard Tower 2. Two people went to the hospital with minor injuries after being struck by flying debris. @NWSTampaBay @DenisPhillipsWx @PaulFox13 @10TampaBay @WFLA @BN9 @NWS @NWSSPC pic.twitter.com/djLBiJD5PR
— Clearwater Police Department (@myclearwaterPD) June 17, 2023
After being treated by Clearwater Fire & Rescue beach lifeguards and the fire department, a 70-year-old woman and a 63-year-old man were transported to Morton Plant Hospital.
The event happened near Tower 2 on Clearwater Beach's south end, according to the City of Clearwater.
"People's stuff was flying all over the place and hitting people. It was crazy. It was just very unexpected. It was very sudden. You know, just one minute everyone's having fun at the beach and literally within five minutes this thing came from the water and just started making landfall and did what it did that you saw in that video," Dr. Mike Tarjoman, who sent us the above video, said.
"I just saw water swirling. It looked like it was a tornado type thing and I thought it might be a waterspout. I've never seen one before and it just got bigger and came onshore and you saw people trying to get away from it and then also tents flying everywhere," Mark Gibbons, said.
Mark and his wife Anna gibbons were traveling from Atlanta. They said they ran behind a building to take cover.
"It wasn't a long experience but it was a really scary one," Gibbons added.
Meteorologist Jason Adams said if you see a waterspout heading your way and you have time run, and seek shelter like they did. If it's too late, the best you can do is lay as flat as you can and put your hands over your head and neck to protect yourself from any flying debris.
"If I do see something like that in the future, though, and I'm near the water, I will definitely be a lot more cautious. And I will not be hanging out at the beach and I probably won't come inside knowing what I saw this time," Tarjoman explained.
