From their back porch, Aaron Salsbury and his family watched a waterspout come down off Bonita Beach.
Salsbury says, "It was quite interesting to see it come down from the clouds and touch the water and then make a mess."
The waterspout never reached land, but the storm surge did. The National Weather Service warned of a tornado spotted just north at Lovers Key.
The few customers who braved the storm to head to Fort Myers Beach saw a similar picture: signs tipped sideways in the wind, and waves crashing into the pier and coming almost all the way up to the restaurants along the beach.
"To see the weather a little closer up, and enjoying the different view of today," Travis King of Naples said.
The Manager of Sunset Beach Tropical Grille had to shut down their back patio because of the stormy conditions.
"Way too windy. Everything's flying off, including the chairs. A lot of blades from the fans are blowing off. Kind of dangerous," Roberto Fuschi said.
The strong winds and waves didn't keep everyone inside.
"Handful of crazy people trying to get in the water," Fuschi said.
"Enjoying the weather. Enjoying the surf which we don't have a lot of," King said.
