A viewer video showed a funnel over the Atlantic off Crescent Beach Friday afternoon as thunderstorms crossed St. Johns County, News4JAX reported. The station described the sighting as developing. The video report identifies an offshore funnel; whether it reached land, or what type of waterspout it was, remains unclear.
Different events, different settings
The National Weather Service Tampa Bay Area office distinguishes tornadic waterspouts, which form over water or move from land to water, from fair-weather waterspouts. An offshore sighting alone does not establish which category applies or whether a funnel made landfall.
Two local records offer context, not proof of what happened Friday. The St. Johns Citizen reported that a waterspout came ashore near Matanzas Avenue on May 25, 2025, damaging a lifeguard tower. Separately, the NWS Jacksonville storm-survey archive lists a St. Johns River waterspout event on June 20, 2010. These events differ in location and reported details; they are examples, not evidence of a trend.
Heavy rain presents a separate concern from whether a funnel reaches shore. St. Johns County says local flooding is primarily caused by heavy rainfall over short periods, often associated with thunderstorms, as well as seasonal high tides.
