Alarming footage shows the moment a waterspout hit a busy beach sending visitors running in fear and leaving two injured.
The freak weather phenomenon hit the beach at Clearwater, Florida, off the Gulf of Mexico, on Friday afternoon, “sending beach-related items flying into the air.”
The video shows people watching the water spout develop off shore before baring down on the beach.
It happened around 4pm near Tower 2 on the southern portion of Clearwater Beach, police have said.
Two people from Kansas, a 70-year-old woman and a 63-year-old man, were hit by flying debris and taken to hospital with minor injuries.
As some people watch on others begin to flee as the spout moves onto the land sending chairs and beach umbrellas flying.
Lifeguards in the area had already warned people to take care as the weather was causing rough conditions.
The spout picked up speed once it had moved on land soon outpacing the people attempting to out run it.
In a video of the incident shared by the Clearwater Fire and Rescue Department, people can be heard crying out in shock.
After moving on land and sweeping across the beach, the spout quickly disappeared.
Beachgoers had already been warned of gusty westerly winds and dangerous surf.
The identities of the two injured have not been made public.
Waterspouts develop over water, usually during severe thunderstorms or tornadoes and dissipate rapidly when they make landfall, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Some can cause significant damage and injuries.
The National Weather Service in Miami issued a heat warning through 7pm Saturday for most of the South Florida area, where the combination of heat and humidity was forecast to reach a “feels like” temperature of 40.5 C (105 F).
“Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses to occur,” the service reported.
The air temperature in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was expected to reach about 33C on Saturday.
