What you need to know
A waterspout moved onshore in the Villages of Bayport Community near Tampa Bay on Sunday evening, May 24, 2026. The National Weather Service in Tampa Bay confirmed the event based on photos and videos shared by broadcast media. No EF rating has been assigned, and no injuries or significant damage have been reported.
The event
At approximately 2300 UTC (7:00 pm EDT) on Sunday, a waterspout was observed moving onshore roughly two miles southwest of Town 'n' Country in the Tampa Bay metro area. According to a local storm report from the National Weather Service Tampa Bay office, broadcast media shared several photos and a couple of videos showing the waterspout as it transitioned from water to land in the Villages of Bayport Community.
The report was delayed, meaning the NWS received confirmation of the event after the fact rather than in real time. This is common with brief, weak tornadoes and waterspouts that occur in populated areas where eyewitness documentation is plentiful but official spotters may not be positioned nearby.
No EF rating has been issued for this tornado. The Enhanced Fujita scale, which rates tornadoes from EF-0 to EF-5 based on damage indicators, requires a damage survey by NWS meteorologists. Many waterspouts that move onshore briefly touch down in areas with minimal structures or vegetation, making damage assessment difficult or impossible.
Waterspouts in Florida: a common occurrence
Florida leads the nation in waterspout reports, particularly along the Gulf Coast and in the Florida Keys. Waterspouts form over warm water when atmospheric conditions favor rotating columns of air beneath developing cumulus clouds. Most are weak and dissipate quickly upon reaching land.
However, waterspouts that move onshore are classified as tornadoes by the National Weather Service, regardless of their origin over water. While the majority cause little to no damage, they can still pose a threat to beachgoers, boaters, and coastal structures if they intensify or track inland.
The Tampa Bay area sees dozens of waterspout reports each year, especially during the summer months when sea-breeze convergence and high humidity create favorable conditions. Sunday's event fits this pattern, occurring during the late afternoon and early evening hours when daytime heating peaks.
Broader severe weather context
Sunday's waterspout was Florida's only tornado report in a 24-hour period that saw widespread severe weather across the central United States. According to the NOAA Storm Prediction Center, 27 hail reports and 41 wind reports were logged across 12 states, including South Dakota, Minnesota, Texas, Georgia, Kentucky, and West Virginia.
The most significant severe weather occurred across the northern Plains, where storms produced hail up to two inches in diameter in Freeman, South Dakota, and widespread wind damage across Appalachia. Florida's waterspout, by contrast, was an isolated event tied to localized convection along the Gulf Coast rather than a larger synoptic weather system.
The Storm Prediction Center's Day 1 outlook for Monday, May 25, maintains a Marginal Risk for portions of the central Gulf Coast, where a northward-moving mesoscale convective vortex may support a few stronger thunderstorms with localized wind damage and a brief tornado risk.
What makes this event notable
While waterspouts are routine in Florida, each onshore event serves as a reminder that severe weather can develop quickly in the Sunshine State, often with little advance warning. Unlike the tornado-warned supercells common in the Plains, Florida's tornadoes frequently form from non-supercell processes—waterspouts, squall lines, and tropical systems—that can spin up with minimal lead time.
The fact that this event resulted in no reported harm is fortunate, but it underscores the importance of situational awareness during active weather, especially near the coast.
Staying alert in Florida's unique tornado environment
Florida ranks third nationally in tornado frequency, but its tornadoes behave differently. Most are weak, short-lived, and occur outside the traditional spring severe weather season. Many happen at night or during tropical weather events, when visibility is poor and warnings are harder to receive.
If you live in or visit coastal Florida, treat waterspout warnings seriously. If you see a funnel cloud over water, move indoors immediately—waterspouts can move onshore faster than you might expect. Monitor local NWS offices on social media and through NOAA Weather Radio for real-time updates.
For those in Tampa, St. Petersburg, and surrounding communities, Sunday's event is a timely reminder that tornado season in Florida doesn't follow the same calendar as the rest of the country. Severe weather can strike any month of the year, and coastal residents should always have a way to receive warnings, day or night.
VORTEX is a free web app at vortexintel.app that monitors severe weather nationwide. Pro ($4.99/month) places phone calls to your phone when a tornado or flash flood warning is issued for a location you care about — calls can ring through Do Not Disturb once you enable Emergency Bypass for the number, unlike most third-party app notifications.