<p>The National Weather Service confirmed that a water spout spotted in Vineyard Sound Monday morning came ashore in Woods Hole as a weak tornado.</p>
The National Weather Service confirmed that a water spout spotted in Vineyard Sound Monday morning came ashore in Woods Hole Monday as a weak tornado with winds of 60 to 65 miles per hour.
The water spout was sighted Monday morning, shortly after the weather service issued a tornado warning for parts of Dukes and Barnstable counties.
A tornado warning went out at 9:35 a.m. An emergency alert sent to mobile phones advised those near the heavy weather to take shelter immediately. Weather service meteorologists said the cell of extreme weather was first spotted near Aquinnah, moving northeast at 40 miles per hour.
Donald Benefit was operating a dredge in the Lake Tashmoo channel when he captured a video of the water spout.
“I watched it form, it came down and went right in front of the jetty, right in front of us,” Mr. Benefit said. “It was forming two fingers then they came together. It didn’t stay long, it wasn’t a giant one. I knew it was going to come, I could see the clouds. It was raining so hard.”
Both the ferries Island Home and Martha’s Vineyard were in transit at the time the water spout touched down, but were not affected.
Weather service meteorologists later issued a statement saying the tornado touched down in Woods Hole with a path about 10 yards wide, and then quickly dissipated.
There was only slight damage to property on the mainland and no one was hurt, according to the weather service.
Eyewitnesses at the Woods Hole Golf Club told the weather service that four large wooden chairs were lofted in the air, swirled around and thrown 500 feet away.
Two nearby weather stations recorded wind gusts of 56 miles per hour, and 65 miles per hour.

Comments
There is a fabulous photo
Ginny WTThere is a fabulous photo taken in either 1884 or (more likely) August of 1896 ( by J N Chamberlain I believe) of the SSA dock in OB; it was taken from the south. Clearly visible in the distance is a large and very dramatic water spout! It is a famous photo -- try to find it and think about how lucky that photographer was to have a very cumbersome camera set up so perfectly, and to be able to record an amazing view. Kudos to Mark Lovewell for a very similar shot.
Thnx for the reference, I
William ExPBA ChilmarkThnx for the reference, I found this from VG archives
https://vineyardgazette.com/news/1896/08/22/water-spout-oak-bluffs
for 1896 water spout, see:
Steve C. Quansoofor 1896 water spout, see: http://history.vineyard.net/photos/s1/S11602.HTM
Goggle: Waterspout over
Ruth EdgartownGoogle: Waterspout over Vineyard Sound. August 9, 1896 taken by Baldwin Coolidge
Thanks to Ruth from Edgartown
Ginny WTThanks to Ruth from Edgartown for correcting my assertion that Chamberlain took the 1896 photo of the waterspout, to the correct answer which is Baldwin Coolidge. I have an amazing book which I got at the Woods Hole Historical Museum, of Coolidge photos -- including many from the Vineyard -- but it was in my shop and I couldn't check the photo to confirm. And thanks to the other two respondents because all that history is fascinating and all part of our maritime heritage which seems to be slipping away. Fortunately more and more are available on line, and perhaps someone (not me) should compile a "master list" of places and ways to access links to all those sites.
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