STORM TRACK: May 31, 1987 (Volume 10 Issue 4)

Waterspouts have been described by many mariners over the years. Ship log reports have listed waterspouts in every ocean. From Japan to Australia, South America to India, North America to Russia, waterspouts have been observed. Here are a few notable ones:

In 1880, on the coast of France, a waterspout moved on-shore and destroyed the town of Saint-George-la-Riviere including the church. All the rooftops were carried away. Walls were crumbled and toppled. Trees were uprooted and broken. The damage path was 300 meters wide.

On September 5, 1935, a waterspout formed near the city of Norfolk, VA and moved northeast. First it destroyed a few buildings near the city, then it crossed the water again lifting a few boats and tossing them onto the bank. Part of a pier was broken. Coming onto land, the vortex destroyed two more houses, then crossed the bay, striking a rail station and derailed several freight cars. Arriving at the airport, the tornado flattened two hangers before continuing over the Chesapeake Bay where it dissipated.

Waterspouts, especially small ones, often form in groups. One of the most amazing photographs I've seen was taken during World War II off the coast of the Philippine Islands. Six waterspouts were aligned in a row across the sea. Sketched from Colton, 1943, National Geog.