Waterspout Forms Off Ft. Lauderdale Coast

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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) -- Beach-goers were confronted with a bizarre phenomenon along Ft. Lauderdale beach.

A large waterspout formed just off the coast Saturday afternoon, near the Bahia Mar Hotel.

Water spout in Fort Lauderdale beach pic.twitter.com/poG9pqeMr0

— Patrick Martin (@patrickm954) March 19, 2016

Swirling winds whipped over the water like a small tornado, creating a columnar vortex that damaged catamarans and beach chairs.

Videos popped up across social media showing the strange sight.