Florida beachgoers flee as huge waterspout spins onshore

This is the terrifying moment Florida beachgoers were forced to run for cover when a powerful waterspout spun its way on shore – with one woman knocked over by the force of it.

The intense columnar vortex landed on the Hollywood beach on Friday around 10:30am as terrified beachgoers grabbed their belongings and scrambled to safety.

The wild weather moved over ocean water two to three miles offshore before it  turned into a twister – with high winds roaring through the area, whipping through palm trees and sweeping up chairs before eventually dissipating. 

A live broadcast by Sky10 captured footage of one bare-chested beachgoer in his swim trunks running as he held onto his belongings screaming, ‘Yo… !”. Others frantically yelped, ‘It’s coming towards us.’ 

One person who witnessed the chaos told NBC Miami: ‘I’ve never seen that. I’ve been coming here since 1986. I’ve never seen that in my entire life.’ 

The waterspout, an intense columnar vortex, landed on the Hollywood beach on Friday around 10:30am as terrified beachgoers grabbed their belongings and ran for cover

One woman is seen running across the beach as the waterspout whips a few feet behind her 

The waterspout is seen quickly moving over the water two to three miles from shore 

Weather experts said the waterspout was connected to a cloud that stemmed out of a group of thunderstorms in the Atlantic Ocean.

Though many beachgoers appeared shaken no injuries were reported. 

Once the weather event passed many sun worshippers returned to the beach for some respite.

Hours earlier a separate waterspout erupted along a Boca Raton beach around 9:30am on Friday, sending chairs and umbrellas soaring into the air near the Ocean Towers condominiums.

Boca Raton is about 29 miles away from Hollywood and a bit farther south.

Steve Weagle, chief meterologist for WPTV First Alert shared footage of the waterspout coming ashore before it cleared out.

The waterspout was later confirmed to be a tornado by the National Weather Service in Miami. A tornado warning was issued for Broward County but later removed.

Waterspouts are a common occurrence along the southeast United Stated coast, especially off southern Florida and the Keys. They can occur over seas, bays and lakes and do not typically pick up water to massive heights.

The rapidly swirling spouts of air that come in contact with the water surface are usually produced by a swiftly growing cumulus cloud, according to Britannica.

Waterspouts may take different shapes, and often occur in a series, known as a ‘waterspout family.’  This upward-moving air current is similar to other atmospheric phenomenon such as tornadoes, whirlwinds and firestorms.