VIDEO: Monster Waterspout Churns Thru Lake Michigan in Wisconsin

It happens more than you think, but it's not captured on video very often. A massive waterspout dropped from the sky over Lake Michigan near Milwaukee, Wisconsin and churned its way across the water.

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According to the video description of this just-shared moment on YouTube, this happened Wednesday, September 13 near Milwaukee. Here's what the person who captured the video said about it:

I was downtown Milwaukee working on the Couture's 12th floor. Around 9 a.m., I looked out the window over the lake and saw what I thought was a strange cloud until I looked closer and realized what it was.

You wouldn't want to run into this spinning vortex if you were boating on Lake Michigan.

But, are waterspouts dangerous?

The National Weather Service surprisingly says yes:

Although waterspouts are usually weaker than tornadoes, they can still produce significant damage to you and your boat.

If you are unfortunate enough to encounter one on the water, they advise that you should immediately attempt to head in a direction that is 90 degrees from the apparent direction of the waterspout. Good to know.

The National Weather Service says that we're in the middle of the season when these water twisters most often occur on the Great Lakes as August, September and October are the most common waterspout months in northern Michigan and Wisconsin.

While waterspouts have a reputation of being weak water versions of tornadoes, they're more dangerous than you think. The huge waterspout spotted this week could easily ruin your day quickly if it got close enough to you.