by Laura RupertA water funnel was recently spotted off Long Island Sound. It's occurrence was a shock to many boaters as well as others in and around the sound. The water funnel appeared rapidly and disappeared just as quickly. Regardless, many boaters sought safety on land. A water funnel can cause damage and injuries to boats and boaters, or others in its path, but the Long Island water funnel did not cause any harm. The National Weather Service said the water funnel disappeared rather quickly with no injuries or damages being reported.
Few Long Islanders knew what the water funnel actually was. In fact, most believed it was a tornado. That is an easy mistake to make because a water funnel looks considerably like a tornado. It has the same long spinning cyclone yet it occurs over water. That is the biggest difference between a water funnel and a tornado. The water funnel is over water and the tornado occurs over land. The tornado is much more dangerous and can cause more damage than a water funnel, however.
Many Long Islanders were interested to see this act of nature and even happier that no damages or injuries occurred. Many photos of the water funnel were taken by onlooking Long Islanders who wanted to save the memory on film.
Water funnels are not common in Long Island so those photos may be the only way some Long Island natives will ever see a water funnel. However, water funnels have occurred in the Long Island Sound area before and will more than likely occur again. The thing is that nobody knows how long it will be before the next water funnel makes an appearance.
