ROCKAWAY BEACH, Ore. (KGW) — Five waterspouts formed off of Rockaway Beach along the Oregon coast Monday morning, the National Weather Service in Portland said.
Just before 11 a.m., the NWS shared a photo on Twitter showing two of the spouts above the Pacific Ocean.
“Here are 2 of the 5 waterspouts off of Rockaway Beach this morning. These two have dissipated, and 3 more have since formed,” NWS said in the tweet. “Waterspouts can be dangerous. Do not move closer to investigate.”
John Chestnut was one of several people who told KGW they spotted the waterspouts from Cannon Beach, about 26 miles north of Rockaway Beach.
The sightings of the five waterspouts comes one day after a waterspout formed in Camas, Washington. Around 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, a funnel cloud with an observable rotation was spotted and the NWS confirmed it was a waterspout.
KGW Meteorologist Rod Hill said, “What’s happening out in the Pacific? Well, that’s where the low pressure center is sitting. These spouts forming out in the leading quadrant of this low, that would become the max spot for instability. This is the center— the low— of a cold pool of air which is the major source for why we’re getting these explosive, convective heavy showers.”
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