Panic on the Beach as Hurricane-Force Winds Caused by Microburst Strike Without Warning
Anything not tied down went flying as a result of the powerful winds.
When one man brought his family to a Santa Barbara, Calif., beach over Labor Day weekend, they never expected sudden, hurricane-force winds would come out of nowhere.
Read: Killer on the Beach: The Hidden Danger of Umbrellas and the Destruction They Can Cause
Leonard Diaz recorded the wild scene as pandemonium was unleashed on the beach.
Parents on the beach trying to protect their kids in the video, but there was nowhere to hide.
“It was super intense because you are seeing all this debris and beach chairs flying everywhere,” he told Inside Edition. “People don’t know where to run, what to do. People were trying to duck and cover but the thing that is covering you — an umbrella — is suddenly gone.”
Others sought refuge in stores.
The phenomenon, known as a microburst, is a sudden, powerful and localized downdraft air current.
Read: 8-Year-Old Boy Dies After Suffering Asthma Attack During Hurricane Harvey
It only lasted about two minutes but the damage was done. Anything not tied-down went flying. Even giant palm trees were toppled.
"It was just craziness – people yelling and screaming and running for cover,” he recalled. “People were consoling their kids who were crying and looking to see if they were hurt."
Watch: Beachgoer Grabs Shark With His Bare Hands After It Got a Little Too Close to Swimmers
Trending on Inside Edition

Trump Invokes Fifth Amendment in New York Civil Fraud Probe as New Details Emerge About FBI Raid at Mar-a-Lago
Politics
Maverick the Dog Helps Find a Missing Child in North Carolina
Animals
Videos Show Teens How to Steal Certain Kias And Hyundais With Only a USB Cable, Police Warn Amid Rising Thefts
Investigative
New York Man Killed in Freak Accident at a Town Trash Transfer Station
News
Who Killed Jared Bridegan? 2-Year-Old Girl Is the Only Witness to Dad's Gruesome Murder
Crime