One of the most bizarre scenes during Hurricane Irma was the sight of water draining away, going out into the ocean, leaving the shoreline empty of water occasionally for hundreds of yards. This effect was most pronounced in parts of the Bahamas, in the Florida Keys and in Fort Myers and even Tampa Bay.
One scientist explained that Irma was so strong that it was sucking water from its surroundings into its core. At one point, for example, the wind on Long Island in the Bahamas was from the southeast to the northwest. On the northwest side of the island, it was blowing water away from the shoreline. When the wind shifted, the water flowed back, often in a destructive surge. See videos and pictures here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/10/force-hurricane-irma-displayed-sucks-water-bahamas-beach/
