A `gustnado’ churns across a Michigan lake. Experts say these small whirlwinds rarely cause damage

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — An unusual weather phenomenon called a “gustnado,” which looks like a small tornado but is actually a type of whirlwind kicked up by thunderstorm winds, brought some dramatic moments to a western Michigan lake over the weekend. Video posted on social media shows the gustnado churning across Gun Lake south of Grand Rapids on Sunday, the clouds rolling rapidly as objects fly and people scream. National Weather Service meteorologist Nathan Jeruzal says several gustandoes formed in the area that day. Unlike tornadoes, which begin aloft then descend to the ground, gustnadoes form as small, turbulent pockets of wind in a thunderstorm’s downdrafts, swirling at or near the ground. They rarely cause damage.