'Tornadic waterspout' hits Maryland island in Chesapeake bay, storms leave 50,000 without power

Footage circulated on Friday of a destructive "tornadic waterspout" hitting a Maryland island, part of a line of storms that threw tens of thousands of residents out of power and sent emergency crews scrambling to address the crisis. 

The twister—not a proper waterspout but a genuine tornado forming over the water—touched down in the Chesapeake Bay near Maryland's Smith Island and proceeded to wreck numerous houses there. 

Footage showed strong winds tearing apart homes and sending debris flying over the area. 

Gov. Larry Hogan, meanwhile, said after the violent weather event that the state's emergency management team was "tracking the damage from tonight’s storms & coordinating with local jurisdictions."

"Currently more than 50,000 power outages," Hogan said Thursday. "Please stay off the roads in affected areas—especially anywhere tree-clearing crews need to work."