A number of waterspouts -- also known as tornadoes over water -- can 'certainly sink a boat,' but most are slow-moving enough that they can be avoided, says expert

‘Tornadoes over water’ seen across Eastern Canada this summer

A number of waterspouts -- also known as tornadoes over water -- can 'certainly sink a boat,' but most are slow-moving enough that they can be avoided, says expert

Because cooler air over lakes tends to suppress thunderstorm activity, “it’s more the exception than the rule that you have a strong tornado coming in off of a lake,” he said. However, it does happen, including when a tornado formed as a waterspout over Lake Huron in 2011 before slamming Goderich, Ont., as a destructive F3. Waterspouts can “certainly sink a boat,” but most are slow-moving enough that they can be avoided, he said. Bourgeois-Gaudet, from Iles-de-la-Madeleine, said he never felt truly in danger during his close encounter with the waterspout. He said that while the water was a little choppy, the wind was never high enough to risk capsizing. “The hardest part was seeing where I was going” due to rain. Sills said that since the tornadoes project started in 2017, its members have documented about 15 waterspouts a year. This year, they’re already up to 18 confirmed or suspected events, making this year slightly above average so far, he said. The waterspouts in Quebec drew plenty of attention — likely because they’re not reported as frequently as in the Great Lakes area. Sills said some of this year’s Quebec waterspouts are the first to be documented along the St. Lawrence River since 2017 — but that’s likely only because more people are seeing them and documenting them, often on social media.