STORM2K

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUIRED
SPECIAL MARINE WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KEY WEST FL
1030 AM EDT TUE APR 13 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN KEY WEST HAS ISSUED A

* SPECIAL MARINE WARNING FOR...
WEST END OF THE 7 MILE BRIDGE TO KEY WEST 20 TO 60 NM
CRAIG KEY TO THE WEST END OF THE 7 MILE BRIDGE 20 TO 60 NM

* UNTIL 1130 AM EDT

* AT 1030 AM EDT...OUR RADAR INDICATED A LARGE CLUSTER OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS 25 TO 45 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF SAND KEY LIGHT.

MOVEMENT WAS TOWARD THE EAST NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 25 KNOTS.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 35
KNOTS...FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING...LOCALLY ROUGH SEAS AND LOW
VISIBILITIES IN VERY HEAVY RAIN.

IN ADDITION WE HAVE HAD PERSISTENT INDICATIONS OF STRONG OR
VIOLENT WATERSPOUTS EMBEDDED WITHIN THIS CLUSTER.

A WATERSPOUT IS A TORNADO OVER WATER THAT CAN BE DANGEROUS AND EVEN
DEADLY. SMALL CRAFT CAN EASILY BE SWAMPED OR OVERTURNED BY A
WATERSPOUT. STAY AWAY FROM THEM AT ALL TIMES.

LAT...LON 2394 8178 2378 8170 2399 8105 2424 8116

$$

DFM/APA

The reason for the wording was for the fact that the waterspouts were developed by the same dynamics that develop tornadoes over land, and some stronger ones at that, and not the usual weak waterspouts that develop (sometimes under a towering CU cloud with no apparent thunderstorm activity).

SF

When I livedin gulf Breeze, FL a waterspout came ashore and killed one person and destroyed about half of an apartment complex.

Too often people think that water spouts are harmless, but they can be very deadly!!!

Good point SF, as usual!!

Waterspouts can be dangerous if not taken seriously.. that is for sure

vbhoutex wrote:When I livedin gulf Breeze, FL a waterspout came ashore and killed one person and destroyed about half of an apartment complex.

Too often people think that water spouts are harmless, but they can be very deadly!!!

Good point SF, as usual!!

I remember that spout. Put alot of sand in my parents beach house and tore up some beach houses right down from theirs. That thing came in at an angle.

Going off topic but I plan to chase some of these spouts down in the keys during mid August for a week.

stu wrote:Going off topic but I plan to chase some of these spouts down in the keys during mid August for a week.

You could be chasing a lot more than spouts that time of year Stu!!! Ot is that part of the plan????

I remember watching that cell nearing Key West. It was a large supercell indeed and I think it should have been given that enhanced wording. Showed indications of STRONGLY rotating for over an hour. I personally had never seen the strong/violent waterspout wording given before until that cell.

I remember watching that cell nearing Key West. It was a large supercell indeed and I think it should have been given that enhanced wording. Showed indications of STRONGLY rotating for over an hour. I personally had never seen the strong/violent waterspout wording given before until that cell.

vbhoutex wrote:

stu wrote:Going off topic but I plan to chase some of these spouts down in the keys during mid August for a week.

You could be chasing a lot more than spouts that time of year Stu!!! Ot is that part of the plan????

sorry to go off topic again

The plan is actually to chase and study spouts - a tropical storm or worse would blow our chase. However I have not ruled out another hurricane chase later in the year - if conditions and location come together.

On the Outer Banks of NC waterspouts that form over Pamlico Sound can and do cause damage on land. Several years ago a waterspout came ashore on Ocracoke Island causing major damage to a house before dissipating.