Hurricane Irma is so strong that it's sucking ocean water away from the coast

September 10, 2017 6:40 pm ABC - National News
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Brian Blanco/Getty Images(TAMPA, Fla.) — Hurricane Irma is so strong that it is pulling water away from coastlines, an unusual phenomenon taking place in certain areas of Florida’s west coast.

Irma’s powerful winds first blow offshore, essentially sucking the water away from the coast.

The winds pulled water out of the Tampa Bay and into the Gulf of Mexico. Portions of the bay that had been filled with water Sunday morning were empty by the afternoon.

Tampa’s Office of Emergency Management tweeted a photo of people walking on Tampa Bay, which it said “is very low due to the storm.”

“It is dangerous to be walking out there,” according to a Tampa city official.

Tampa resident Tim Scheu posted a video of his dogs playing on the bay’s shallow water. “Now an effective dog park,” he wrote.

“With @CityofTampa parks closed ahead of storm, this is the best we’ve got,” Scheu wrote.

The shallow waters in the Gulf of Mexico also play a factor, allowing the water to move more easily.

In Naples, Florida, the water on Vanderbilt Beach recessed significantly into the Gulf of Mexico.

As the hurricane moves north and the wind directions change, the water will start to rush back in and storm surge flooding will occur.

The phenomenon occurred on the Bahamas’ Long Island, where residents took to social media to express shock that the ocean water appeared to be “missing.”

The receding shoreline didn’t apply to just ocean water. Water on the island’s Salt Pond appeared to be missing as well.

The water had returned to Long Island by Saturday, The Washington Post reported.

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