Brush With Hurricane Michael Felt on Lido Key

Water Spout moving across Pansy Bayou.  (Photo by Lisa Kates and Richard LaBrie)

Hurricane Michael charged by Sarasota's Gulf coast Wednesday afternoon... it's outer ring sending periodic rain squalls, moderate wind gusts and even this water spout (similar to a twister over water) spotted in Pansy Bayou by Lisa Kates and Richard LaBrie.  Susie Thill also reported seeing what may well have been the same water spout as it traversed from the Gulf, through the Bayou and into Sarasota Bay.

If that wasn't enough,  this incredible photo of a twister was spotted over Pansy Bayou Wednesday evening around 6:30 by our intrepid  LSPOA storm spotter Richard Labrie.  Tornado warnings were issued all afternoon and early evening for the Sarasota area.  The Weather Channel could use Richard.

Tornado passing over Pansy Bayou.  

Although the storm surge was minimal, waves, combined with high tide, continued to cause more beach erosion up and down Lido Key.  Sea water flowed into our beach parking lot... widening our eroding beach path, and further south, caused this lifeguard stand, once a dozen yards from the Gulf, to topple over.

Aftermath of high tide on beach path

City Manager Tom Barwin visits threatened lifeguard stand on South Lido

~BT