Waterspout spotted off Long Beach Island

A waterspout off Ship Bottom, Long Beach Island shortly before 7 a.m. Monday. (Image: David Buhan Jr. - @perilous_drone/Instagram)

A waterspout off Ship Bottom, Long Beach Island shortly before 7 a.m. Monday. (Image: David Buhan Jr. - @perilous_drone/Instagram)

A severe thunderstorm generated a waterspout off Ocean County’s Long Beach Island Monday morning.

Eyewitnesses spotted the funnel in the Ship Bottom area shortly before 7 a.m. The National Weather Service confirmed the waterspout, which did not come ashore.

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The waterspout was associated with a cluster of slow moving thunderstorms that have generated torrential rain over the northern half of the Jersey Shore.

The National Weather Service says around two to four inches of rain has fallen in portions of Ocean and Monmouth counties, with another two to three inches possible by early afternoon.

Flash flooding is also occurring, forcing road closures in some areas, according to the service.

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