Waterspout-turned-tornado sweeps coast as thunderstorms pound South Florida

A massive waterspout rose up out of the sea and briefly came onshore as a tornado Wednesday, snapping trees in half and causing some anxious moments for residents on both sides of the Miami-Dade/Broward border.

The National Weather Service says the waterspout was first spotted around 1:14 p.m. off Sunny Isles Beach and came onshore around 1:20 p.m. in northern Golden Beach, becoming a tornado.

It quickly went back offshore and then dissipated, but not before its winds tore down trees, tossed around some outdoor furniture and damaged the metal gates of several ocean-facing homes.

Video credit patrickradical