Tornado Spawned by TS Andrea Shocks Gulfport

Tropical Storm Andrea brought heavy rain, high winds and a waterspout that touched down in Gulfport.

Just after 10 a.m. on Thursday a waterspout was seen touching down on Shore Boulevard and Clinton St. The tornado headed north and moved onto Beach Boulevard, passing the Gulfport Public Library, Gulfport Senior Center and Clymer Park, according to city officials.

As the howling wind headed north, Teresa Viala and Alex Ostowski heard the destruction of trees and branches breaking on Beach Boulevard. The neighbors live next door to Backfin Blue, which had one tree uprooted in their front yard, and across the street from Yummy's, the hardest hit building in town.

The reported tornado was strong enough to knock down branches from the 200-year-old cedar tree directly in front of the hot dog eatery on Beach Blvd.

"I heard the freight train sound. And I said 'Oh my God' and my dog come running into the bathroom where I was and we both jumped into the bathtub," Viala said.

Her next door neighbor Alex Ostowski ran over to Yummy's right after it hit to see if everyone was ok.

"The tables were covered in glass," he said.

The tree had fallen on the covered patio attached to the main restaurant. It's a spot that would have provided cover for patrons had the business been open. Owners decided Wednesday to stay closed due to impending weather. It was a decision that could have prevented injuries.

"Thank god," Ostowski said.

Just down the street Chris Nickerson and Kim Spadorcia were surveying the damage at their home at 5611 30th Ave S. The couple witnessed the tornado whip past their home.

Nickerson said it was about 50 feet away. "We literally saw it spinning outside the window."

What they found outside was a bent flagpole and lawn furniture in the neighbors yard. They also spotted part of a shed roof in a tree, windows blown out and fences torn apart. Debris covered their alley.

City officials say the storm downed trees, power lines and flooded low lying streets like Shore Boulevard.

By noon on Thursday at least two to three feet of water blocked of most of Shore Blvd. Water rose to The Village Pub's entryway and inched towards The Neptune Grill's outdoor bar. Although streets were closed and officials urged people not to wander around the damaged areas, people walked towards the shore to snap photos and video.

O'Maddy's kept their doors open even though patio chairs on the street were underwater. Patrons sat at the bar and shared stories of the storm that once again, left an impression on Gulfport.

As of Thursday evening, city officials said there are no reported injuries and stated that damage was limited to street flooding, debris, downed power lines and structural damage at one business, Yummy's.

Do you have photos from the storm? Share them on this article!

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