This picture of a waterspout over Oso Bay in Corpus Christi was taken by the National Weather Service. Courtesy Photo
A 10-car pile up was blamed on a waterspout spotted over Oso Bay in Corpus Christi Tuesday, July 19. The spout could be seen from the Naval Air Station-Corpus Christi, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Bay Area Medical Center and Flour Bluff neighborhoods. It could also be seen on South Padre Island Drive near Flour Bluff Road, where 10 cars slammed into each other after one driver did not slow down as others paused to take a look. One minor injury was sent to a nearby hospital.
The waterspout was moving about 15 miles per hour northwest.
A tornado warning was in effect for the Southside and Flour Bluff until about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. The National Weather Service also reported a tornado near Christus Spohn Hospital. It did not touch ground.
A waterspout is a whirling column of air and water mist. They come in two forms: fair weather waterspouts and tornadic waterspouts. The water spout in Corpus Christi was tornadic in that it formed over water during heavy thunderstorms and had the same characteristics as a land tornado.
A waterspout on land can cause significant damage. The good news is that they typically dissipate pretty quickly once they make landfall.
The National Weather Service issued several warnings Tuesday about bad weather, which could continue all week. The atmosphere is favorable for funnel clouds and waterspouts, says the NWS, and boaters should remain alert for formations. While easily avoidable, waterspouts can overturn boats.
