Go the beach, they said. It will be relaxing they said. I would hazard to guess that many Louisiana beachgoers who've been to the beaches of the Gulf Coast over the past few days might argue that point. In addition to some pretty gnarly rip currents the area has been besieged, especially along the northern Gulf Coast by strong storms and severe weather.

Storyful News & Weather via YouTube
Storyful News & Weather via YouTube
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Residents around Pensacola Florida's Bayfront Parkway say they've been inundated with rain over the past few days. There have been reports in that area of some 15 inches of rain falling in just a period of hours. The deluge brought water to the porches of many of the homes in that area and even submerged some vehicles that were parked alongside the roadway.

Facebook via ABC 13 Houston
Facebook via ABC 13 Houston
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While the Florida Panhandle may have taken it on the chin over the weekend with heavy rains and the threat of severe weather by far the most dramatic footage of the weekend comes from a little further down the coast.

The video below from News 10 in Tampa shows the affects of a waterspout that came onshore and literally blew stunned beachgoers away.

Those who frequent the beaches of the Gulf Coast are no strangers to waterspouts. Quite often during the summer months you can see them dancing above the waves well offshore as summertime thunderstorms create a rotation within and that rotation drops to the surface.

In this case, the waterspout was not a big storm and didn't do a lot of damage to permanent structures. But, you can see the carnage it caused tossing beach umbrellas and chairs in all directions as it crossed the coastline. According to News 10 two people were injured slightly in the chaos.

weather.gov/mob
weather.gov/mob
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Incidentally, the threat of rip currents remains very high for those heading to beaches of Lower Alabama and Florida again this week. There is also a threat of strong storms and severe weather at least for the next several days as well. And yes, there will be a threat of waterspouts forming over that area as well.

But then again, you could always be dealing with a heatwave and excessive heat advisories as we are in Louisiana. If that's in your forecast, please stay in the air conditioning and consider these entertainment options.

Fun Indoor Activities to do During a Heat Wave

 

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