A giant VORTEX has appeared in Lake Texoma and it is big enough to swallow a boat
A giant VORTEX has appeared in Lake Texoma and it is big enough to swallow a boat By some estimates, the vortex is around 8ft (2.4m) in diameter The huge vortex has been created by draining of the reservoir It is particularly intense because of record rainfall in the area. A violent vortex has appeared in Lake Texoma – one of the largest reservoirs in the US. Recent footage of the spooky hole, which sprung up suddenly, shows the lake draining in front of a baffled onlooker. According to the US Army, the huge vortex is ‘eight feet in diameter and capable of sucking in a full-sized boat. Despite its strange appearance, there appears to be a simple explanation for the gaping hole. Assistant lake manager at Lake Texoma BJ Parkey told Business Insider that the vortex had been created by draining of the reservoir. ‘Just like in your house when you fill a bathtub full of water and [open] the drain, it will develop a vortex or whirlpool,’ he said. Like a tornado, the water flow creates a cyclone shape, with a wider opening at the top tapering off to a narrow funnel. The Texoma reservoir lies on the border of Oklahoma and Texas and is created by the Denison Dam that spans three miles (4.8km) in length. Water often builds up there, and when levels reach a peak, the Army opens the floodgates at the lake’s bottom and the water is drained into the river. Despite the Army’s description, Parkey doesn’t think the vortex is capable of swallowing a boat, adding that it’s more likely to be around three feet wide (0.9 metres).
