Where Do Waterspouts Occur?
Waterspouts can happen wherever there is water. However, for the most part, waterspouts take place in tropical water, especially during warm temperatures of the wet season. In 1969, the Lower Florida Keys Waterspout Project, led by Dr. Joseph H. Golden, observed 390 waterspouts in a 4-month period, within a 50-mile area. Dr. Golden concluded that waterspouts happen in the Florida Keys more than any other place in the world. Waterspouts have been known to occur over the Great Lakes, Lake Tahoe, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bombay. Waterspout Structure Waterspouts share a similar funnel-shaped structure with tornadoes, with a large updraft of air occurring within a group of clouds, usually a thunderstorm. The National Weather Service, or NWS, has identified two categories of waterspouts. • Fair weather waterspouts – These waterspouts develop from cumulus clouds. They work upward from the water’s surface, forming under light wind. Fair weather waterspouts are usuall
