Waterspout, Pinellas
- When
- March 31, 5:50 PM EST
- Where
- Pinellas County, 16 mi W of Tampa
- Coordinates
- 27.903, -82.739 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Waterspout in Florida, March 31, 1996
A waterspout developed near and crossed the Bayshore Bridge as it moved east over the open waters of Old Tampa Bay before it dissipated.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS TBW wrote it up.
A waterspout developed near and crossed the Bayshore Bridge as it moved east over the open waters of Old Tampa Bay before it dissipated.
The radar
The Tampa radar (KTBW), 40 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:49 UTC.
Event by event
1 waterspout. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- Waterspout
- A tornado over water. One that moves ashore is filed as a tornado from the coastline on.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Hail in Mississippi, March 31, 1996
- Hail in Florida, March 31, 1996
- Hail in Mississippi, March 31, 1996
- Hail in Mississippi, March 31, 1996
- Hail in Alabama, March 31, 1996
- Lightning Strike in Florida, March 31, 1996
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Florida, March 31, 1996
- Hail in Arkansas, March 31, 1996
- Hail in Mississippi, March 31, 1996
- Hail in Mississippi, March 31, 1996
- Hail in Mississippi, March 31, 1996
- Hail in Mississippi, March 31, 1996
More
Every storm in Florida in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, March 1996
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5571976.