(09/27/06) PORT JEFFERSON - A waterspout formed in the Long Island Sound near Port Jefferson Wednesday, awing residents with its tornado-like sight.

Witnesses say the waterspout rose more than 1,000 feet into the air and lasted for 15 minutes. They say the funnel cloud, which looks like a tornado, did not move very far. People from as far away as Setauket and Mt. Sinai also reported seeing the phenomenon that meteorologists say is very rare in the Long Island Sound.

Tornados and waterspouts have specific differences. Waterspouts originate from the water and rise up to the clouds above, whereas tornados form from the clouds and move downward. Tornados, also, are typically far stronger than the water-based funnel.