NWS confirms two water spouts made appearance on Myrtle Beach shores. See video
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- NWS confirmed two waterspouts came ashore in Myrtle Beach on Sunday morning.
- Videos showed minor damage as winds tossed umbrellas before dissipating inland.
- Meteorologists ruled out tornado classification due to low wind intensity.
At least two water spouts were confirmed on Myrtle Beach shores Sunday morning, the National Weather Service said.
Videos of the funnels of wind forming over the ocean and blowing ashore circulated on social media on Sunday. The water spouts could be seen tossing some beach chairs and umbrellas about before dissipating near the dunes.
Sometimes, when water spouts like these move onto land, they can be categorized as tornadoes. But the ones encountered by Myrtle Beach beachgoers over the weekend were too weak to fit that category, explained weather service meteorologist Jordan Baker.
“It just tossed a couple of umbrellas. It barely moved onto the dunes,” Baker said. He added that the water spouts that the weather service reviewed on video likely only whipped up winds around 40 miles per hour —not very strong by tornado standards.
The Myrtle Beach Fire Department has not received any reports of injuries related to the water spouts, according to Capt. Jon Evans.
Online commentary about the weather events indicates there may have been a third water spout that came ashore in Myrtle Beach on Sunday, but Baker said the weather service has confirmed only two so far.
Baker explained that, given current weather conditions in the area, water spouts like these are not uncommon. The combined humidity and storm front off the coast can spawn water spouts that blow onshore.
The water spouts are not a symptom of an approaching hurricane, Baker said. He said a “wave of tropical low pressure” is moving off the coast of Africa that has the potential to develop into a hurricane locally, but it’s too early to tell.
“We have no clue at this time,” he said, adding that the possibilities for that front are “basically endless” this early in its development.
This story was originally published August 10, 2025 at 3:12 PM.
