Photo: Shutterstock
By Ann Eichenmüller
The headboat anchored in the Newport News Middle Ground, eager fishermen with rods,
the first mate hobbled from the stern. He and the captain had their eyes fixed on the northwest sky and were focused
on a build-up of heavy, dark clouds. They watched in horror as a thin funnel descended and touched the surface, then turned toward them.
The captain, usually a sociable soul, ran wordlessly to the helm. He started the engine and put the boat into gear while the mate climbed to the bow. The young mate grabbed the anchor line and pulled with all his might as the boat catapulted forward. The anchor came loose and as he wrestled it aboard he turned to see the captain standing pale, hatchet in hand, ready to cut the line if necessary.
That first mate was my husband, and he realized that any weather phenomenon that can shake a seasoned headboat captain should be taken seriously. No wonder waterspouts are legends. Decades ago sightings were a rarity, but today Facebook and Instagram are flooded with photos of water eddies on the Chesapeake. What has changed? According to Channel 6 Richmond’s chief meteorologist Zach Daniels, it’s not necessarily the weather.
“Twenty years ago there were very few cell phones. If you were on a boat and saw a waterspout, maybe you would come home and call a friend. It would go that far. Now everyone wears a smartphone with a camera all the time. Nothing escapes the documentation. “
That doesn’t mean chasing waterspouts to get the perfect shot to share is a good idea. Waterspouts can be photogenic, but they’re also dangerous.
“We often talk about tornadic activity in connection with strong thunderstorms,” explains Daniels. “These super cells can produce waterspouts or form tornadoes over land, which then move across the water without losing much of their power.”
A particularly devastating example of the latter is the 2016 EF-3 tornado that ripped through Essex County, Virginia, then crossed a mile and a half wide section of the Rappahannock River before going ashore on the Northern Neck, causing widespread damage in its wake. And although storm-generated waterspouts that form over water tend to be weaker, they are often accompanied by strong winds, rough seas, rain, lightning, and even hail. They can reach speeds of up to 130 km / h and are from a foot in diameter to the size of a soccer field.
And as if that wasn’t enough, according to Daniels, even waterspouts can form without a storm. “We call these fair-weather waterspouts, similar to a ‘dust devil’ or a ‘leafnado’. Whenever you have cooler air over a warm, humid surface, you have what we call buoyancy. Situations like this can easily create waterspouts in calm conditions. “
Fair-weather waterspouts are usually short-lived, move very little, and fall apart when touching land – but that doesn’t mean they can’t capsize a small boat or damage a larger boat. Because of this, the National Weather Service warns boaters to take precautions if they encounter a waterspout, regardless of its origin:
- If you spot a waterspout, seek a safe haven immediately.
- Avoid the waterspout by driving at right angles to its apparent direction of movement.
- If a collision is likely, remove the sails, secure loose items, close hatches and, if possible, go below deck.
- Under no circumstances should a boater attempt to navigate through a waterspout.
And although legend has it that firing a cannon in the path of a waterspout will break it open, the myth is unfounded, so don’t fire your flare gun or throw your lounge chairs at one.
Regarding waterspout myths, several local aquarists say they heard it was “raining fish” that were soaked up with the water in a waterspout. Daniels points out that the funnel you see isn’t “sucked up” seawater, but rather a swirling mist of condensed water vapor. However, he agrees that an overwater tornado has enough suction to carry objects – including fish. In fact, according to New York meteorologist Bill Evans in his book It’s Raining Fish and Spiders, all types of creatures have been reported to rain during tornadic activity, including snakes, worms, and crabs, but fish and frogs are the most common. Worldwide, he writes, such events are reported about 40 times a year.
So next time you’re out on the boat and see a waterspout, keep your distance – and to be on the safe side, you may want to cover your head.
The first in Zach Daniels’ series of children’s weather books, Walter and the Terrible Twister, was published this month.