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Waterspout makes landfall in South Florida, becoming a weak tornado

The weather service reported most of the debris involved broken tree branches and tossed-about patio furniture.

GOLDEN BEACH, Fla. — Waterspouts are no stranger to Florida's summertime weather pattern, and while most usually stay out over open water, some don't.

That happened Wednesday afternoon in the town of Golden Beach, located north of Miami, as a waterspout came ashore and whipped up a few trees and patio furniture. 

The National Weather Service says it was spotted around 1:14 p.m. near Sunny Isles Beach before moving north and making landfall. At this point, the waterspout became a tornado -- it was on the ground for about a half-mile and was 160 yards wide at its widest point.

Winds were estimated around 80-85 mph, making it a weak EF-0 tornado. However, the weather service says a couple of spots could have had winds a little higher than that.

A lot of the debris, according to the weather service, ended up in the Atlantic Ocean. There was one report of a home getting water blown in through a set of sliding glass doors.

No injuries were reported.

Earlier Wednesday morning in Sarasota County, a waterspout was spotted off the coast of Siesta Key Beach. This one -- considered a fair-weather waterspout and not a tornadic waterspout like the Miami-area setup -- remained over water.

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