Multiple Waterspouts Strike the Outer Banks

Jillian MacMath
By Jillian MacMath, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer
July 31, 2012; 9:11 PM
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Waterspout Appears Over the Outer Banks Monday

Storified by Accu Weather · Mon, Jul 30 2012 14:05:37

According to Dr. Joseph Golden of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) a water spout is "a funnel which contains an intense vortex, sometimes destructive, of small horizontal extent and which occurs over a body of water."

Always take waterspouts seriously, as they can be as equally destructive as tornadoes. When warnings are issued for waterspouts, be prepared to quickly seek safe harbor, or to find shelter out of the path of the waterspout.
RT @GaughanSurfing: Nags Head Waterspout taken within the hour over Oregon Inlet. @spann @weather #wjxt4 http://pic.twitter.com/ZLFYWGykBen Goff
Another amazing picture of the Nags Head waterspout, note the twin mini waterspouts left and right! #wjxt4 @spann http://pic.twitter.com/NRnjFw3zJohn Gaughan
"Three waterspouts appeared in the sky over Outer Banks Fishing Pier in South Nags Head Monday morning and a Tornado Warning went out from the National Weather Service at 11:15. People enjoyed quite a show as the waterspouts first formed, then dissipated and then reformed again," it reads on the Jennette's Pier Facebook page.
Stole this pic from witn but awesome pic of a waterspout http://pic.twitter.com/cMkGcYVhChris Laws
Photo by Eric Dreelin of today's #obx waterspout...FROM THE AIR!!! #ncwx http://pic.twitter.com/tQOhhPFQSam Walker
Another photo of today's waterspout off the Cape Hatteras National Seashore - NPS photo - #ncwx #obx - http://pic.twitter.com/sNiY6jWRLee Ringer

Others have tweeted images of a waterspout off the coast of Georgia this morning, though a waterspout in this area has not yet been confirmed by NOAA:

@reedtimmerTVN second waterspout in two weeks down in St. Simons Island, GA http://pic.twitter.com/efyttmKZMarcie Hunter
Viewer Megan Lynne snapped this pic if a waterspout over St. Simons Island, Ga., this afternoon. http://pic.twitter.com/ZFYCCYdGVic Micolucci (WJXT)
Waterspout my friends saw off the Georgia coast earlier today. So jealous. http://pic.twitter.com/zaX7IW55Matt Piechota

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