Waterspouts spotted near Grand Strand beaches. Will they form here?

Storms are moving offshore near the Grand Strand this week, and with just enough rotation, waterspouts could form.

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The National Weather Service in Wilmington, North Carolina, confirmed two isolated waterspouts formed near Sunset Beach and Oak Island in North Carolina over the weekend, and conditions are similar along the Grand Strand.

“Very isolated, low threat, but it is possible just with the pattern we’re in,” said NWS Meteorologist Lauren Warner.

There are two types of waterspouts: tornadic and fair weather. Fair weather waterspouts are what are likely to form near the Grand Strand. They form when low-level convergence in calm winds forms over water and spin upward into what looks like a tornado, but is much weaker, Warner said. Tornadic waterspouts are usually associated with heavy storms and lightning, forming downward from the cloud base.

A waterspout that moved onshore off Folly Beach was confirmed a brief EF0 tornado on Saturday afternoon, according to the . No injuries were reported, but winds reached an estimated 55 mph and blew umbrellas and other shading devices around the beach.

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If a waterspout forms near the Grand Strand, Warner advised people on the beach to vacate the area, especially if one is moving toward the shoreline. While fair weather waterspouts tend to dissipate if they reach land, they could kick up umbrellas and swirl items around.

Always look for NWS alerts on a phone or NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) radio, Warner said.

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