NEW ORLEANS — Two waterspouts were spotted in Lake Pontchartrain on Friday morning which brought a scary but amazing sight to drivers along the Twin Span Bridge and surrounding areas. Waterspouts are pretty common in the Gulf South during the summertime, but two at the same time is certainly an awe-inspiring feature one doesn't get to see all the time! Though it is possible for multiple waterspouts to form near one another at the same time.
Waterspouts are similar to tornadoes in that they are a rotating column of air and they both look like something out of a thriller movie! There are two types of waterspouts: tornadic and fair weather. Tornadic waterspouts form from severe thunderstorms either on the water, or on land and move onto the water. They develop from the base of a storm cloud downward towards the ground.
Fair weather waterspouts are more common and much weaker than tornadic ones. Fair weather waterspouts form along a line of developing cumulus clouds, showers, and non-severe thunderstorms. They are associated with rising air from the surface of the water upward to the cloud. This is what occurred on Friday morning on Lake Pontchartrain, which is something that happens quite often this time of the year.
Even though waterspouts are much weaker than tornadoes, it's important for boaters to move away from them because they can still do major damage to boats. According to the National Weather Service, if a waterspout is sighted, immediately head at a 90 degree angle from the apparent motion of the waterspout.
With more storms in the forecast Friday and Saturday, waterspouts are possible across the lakes and Gulf in any developing storm so be careful this weekend and any time out on the water the rest of the summer and into the early fall season.