A waterspout photographed from a condo in Bonita Bay on Monday, June 6, 2016.
© Bill DemmertA waterspout photographed from a condo in Bonita Bay on Monday, June 6, 2016.
An eyewitness reported a waterspout might have landed on Bonita Beach late Monday afternoon and moved inland as a tornado, according to the National Weather Service.

The tornado was wrapped in rain, so NWS could not confirm whether the funnel touched the ground, said Rodney Wynn, a NWS meteorologist in Tampa.

"It was hard to see," Wynn said.

Heavy rains and winds are expected to continue through the day, as Tropical Storm Colin makes its way from the Gulf of Mexico and into Florida. NWS has predicted Colin will make landfall on Florida's northwest coast.


Early Monday, Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in 34 Florida counties. Lee and Collier counties were not among them.

NWS issued a tornado warning for East Central Lee County shortly after 4 p.m., despite the uncertain sighting. The tornado was projected to move north from Bonita Beach toward Three Oaks Parkway in Estero.

NWS canceled the warning by 4:30 p.m. No damage or other tornado sightings were reported, Wynn said.

The severe weather is expected to last through Monday. Colin's east side is flooding coastal areas as it moves ashore, Wynn said.

"People should not go down to the beach," he said. "Even if they want to see the big waves crashing."

Before the tornado warning expired in Estero, Assistant Chief Mark Wahlig of Estero Fire Rescue said the district was monitoring the storm as it swept through south Lee County.

"It was just a big dark cell going through," Wahlig said. "It was moving northeast."

Residents should "keep an eye on the radar" and the weather, he said.

"It's very spotty," he said. "It's important to stay vigilant."