Waterspout attracts beachgoers' attention

A storm cell off the coast of Siesta Key around 10 this morning produced a short-lived waterspout, visible from beaches around the area.

The storm moved onshore after the waterspout dissipated about a mile from the beach, delivering a burst of heavy rain to Siesta Key, then the mainland. No damage was reported on Siesta Key.

Siesta Key lifeguards monitored the storm in case the waterspout approached closer to the beach, but no action was required, a spokeswoman for Sarasota County Fire-Rescue said. 

Storms that can spawn waterspouts aren't particularly rare over the Gulf of Mexico on a  summer day. And, here's the good news, they rarely hold together long enough to reach land.