Video of a waterspout approaching a beach lined with blue tents dates to June 2023 and is not related to Hurricane Idalia that made landfall on Florida’s coast on Aug. 30, 2023. “Hurricane Idalia has started,” read posts linking the waterspout video to Hurricane Idalia on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter (here) and Facebook (here) and (here). People visible at 0:21 in the video shared on social media are also visible in the fire department video. Millions of residents evacuated or hunkered down in homes and shelters as Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Florida as an “extremely dangerous” Category 3 storm on Aug. 30, 2023, Reuters reported (here). Video of a waterspout is not related to Hurricane Idalia.

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Persons: Idalia, ”, Dr Mike, Danielle Tarjoman, Read Organizations: Facebook, Storyful, Rescue Department, Reuters Locations: Clearwater Beach, Florida, Clearwater, Orlando