Video footage captured the moment a waterspout in Maryland left a trail of destruction after moving inland.
Smith Island residents could only watch in horror as the waterspout touched down and destroyed numerous homes and caused over 50,000 power outages.
A waterspout differs from a tornado in that it begins over a body of water.
Typically this natural disaster is less destructive than tornadoes due to it remaining in open water but unfortunately this waterspout continued its path on land.
Residents Amy and Daniel Somers caught part of the chaos on video.
Unbelievable video from Thursday night on Smith Island from Amy & Daniel Somers. #baycountry979 pic.twitter.com/idjDCPUurh
— Bay Country 97.9 (@bay_country) August 5, 2022
In another video the moment the waterspout destroyed a neighboring building can be seen. The person filming only narrowly avoided getting swept up.
DRAMATIC video of a resident narrowly escaping the Smith Island tornado, while a house next door takes a direct hit. (language warning). Video from Kathy Taylor-Donaway.
Last loop is in slow motion #mdwx #smithislandmd pic.twitter.com/R2da1K5VRu
— Rich Wirdzek (@RichWirdzekWx) August 5, 2022
Ben Carver captured footage on the opposite side of the bay, several miles from the waterspout where the weather event could be seen stretching from the ocean all the way up to the clouds.
Last night a destructive waterspout came ashore and became a tornado on Rhodes Point and Ewell, Smith Island. Our thoughts go out to those that were injured and lost property.
: Ben Carver pic.twitter.com/ASD9vGelwD
— Chesapeake Bay Foundation (@chesapeakebay) August 5, 2022
National Weather Service reported that winds from the waterspout reached up to 45 miles per hour and there had likely been the presence of hail.
Smith Island sits in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay and is the only one of Maryland’s small islands that do not have a bridge that connects it to the mainland.
Beyond the recent waterspout damage, Smith Island has faced severe erosion that has claimed dozen of acres and caused a few residents to uproot from the community.
Sources: DailyCaller, Insider