Powerful waterspout forms over Cooper River

A powerful waterspout formed near the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge this afternoon, prompting witnesses to grab cellular phones and digital cameras to capture the vortex.

The waterspout, essentially a tornado over water, took shape at around 1:40 p.m. on the Cooper River north of the bridge. Meteorologists estimated its winds blew between 50 to 70 miles per hour.

Witnesses said the spout moved for 10 or 15 minutes before it dissipated. It never touched land. No injuries were reported.

Aaron Smith is the manager of Patriots Pictures, which does souvenir photography at the USS Yorktown. He considers himself an amateur photographer, but he knew he was seeing something special when the water began to rise up from the Cooper River and a spout formed from the dark clouds.

He grabbed his camera and began snapping pictures. He's waited for years to see a waterspout.

"I'm elated I had a chance to capture nature in a manner you rarely get to see around here," said Smith, who still was giddy with excitement several hours later. "I was just excited to see a waterspout."

On the other side of the river, Seabreeze Marina manager Trey Hayes was busy launching boats when a co-workers spotted the spout. He said the water rising from the river looked like smoke and made it appear as though something was on fire. Suddenly, the spout became bigger and more defined. Nearby boaters came in to tie up their boats and get out of the water, and everyone sat and watched it. The waterspout continued to grow fatter and fatter until it disappeared, right before the bridge, he said.

"I've never really seen one before," he said. "It just popped right up. It was awesome."

Richard Thacker, senior meteorologist with the local office of the National Weather Service, said light winds, air circulation and a thunderstorm created ripe conditions for a waterspout to form. Waterspouts usually are fairly weak and short-lived, and most dissipate before coming ashore.

"This one was pretty impressive looking," Thacker said.