‘Awestruck’ hiker captures rare footage of Bay Area waterspout
A waterspout is an intense, “ghostly spiral” that can reach 60 mph winds. This one was filmed off the coast of Sonoma County.
Omar RogersA large, ethereal waterspout was spotted near Sonoma County’s Ocean Cove area on Tuesday, according to a clip posted to social media. The phenomenon was captured by Omar Rogers, a Santa Rosa resident who went hiking that day during dark and stormy weather in the region.
These swirling vortexes of air and mist usually form over tropical ocean waters and can even travel on land if they’re powerful enough, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“We were just so awestruck,” Rogers told SFGATE. “You know, it’s just kind of confusing and just wonderful at the same time.” Even though he hails from the Midwest and is used to experiencing thunderstorms and tornadoes, Rogers said he had never seen anything like it before.
Weather experts were excited that Rogers managed to document these fleeting forces in real time. National Weather Service meteorologist Brayden Murdock told SFGATE that these waterspouts usually “dip their toes in the water” for a few minutes before vanishing.
“It’s rare for us to actually get a very clear video with a good time stamp,” he said.
The intense, “ghostly spiral” can reach 60 mph winds, Murdock added. However, the chances of a water cell — or tornado that forms over water — reaching land seem pretty low.
“Every once in a while we do see the potential for water cells and some of the storms that form off to the ocean, but as soon as they start to come close to land, they really start to break apart because the water gets shallower,” Murdock said. But it makes sense why this waterspout formed over Bay Area waters: The high peaks along the Sonoma County coastline block any wind that might interfere with them, creating the “frictionless” environment that waterspouts need in order to thrive, Murdock explained.
Yet another storm is forecast to sweep through the Bay Area this weekend, and a flood watch is in effect through Monday afternoon. Refer to the weather service’s guidance before hiking to any beaches or coastal areas.
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