Tornado warning issued in Pierce Co after waterspout touches down

Pierce County, WA -- A rare sight that shocked many onlookers as a waterspout touches down in the water near Anderson Island.  The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning, the first in more than 17 years.

The waterspout was first spotted around 12:10 pm.  Onlookers described the clouds turning dark and watched as the waterspout took shape.    Aaron Hatley was golfing at Home Course in Dupont and had a front row seat to the event.

"I was really excited about it.  I was about 500..600 yards off of it, it was really something to see, it was massive and ominous," Hatley said.

Hatley has lived in the area his entire life and has never seen anything like it. "There was a massive tornado just standing there, it wasn't really moving, just stained in position..wasn't turning.. one of the guys I was with said it looks like a funnel.. I said I think thats what a tornado is," Hatley said.

Home Course was filled with about 80 golfers when the waterspout appeared.  Ron Hagen, the director of golf at the course says he almost called for an evacuation of the green.

"It was pretty fascinating, obviously to see something that but as I said.. it was eerie at the same time and it made us all pretty nervous," Hagen said.

Hagen says the winds kicked up to 30 miles per hour.

"It was just strange to see something like that here.. you never see that..its really amazing," Hagel added.

The waterspout didn't damage any structures and there are no reported injuries.