TORNADO-LIKE LAND SPOUTS SPOTTED NEAR SIKESTON

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Experienced weather watchers and law enforcement personnel reporting a number of funnel clouds near Sikeston just after 5 p.m. Tuesday were seeing a phenomenon known as land spouts.

Land spouts are similar to tornadoes, but the system they are produced by lacks the power and height of a tornadic thunderstorm.

"They're one of those freaks of nature," said Jim Packett, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky.

Land spouts can form at low elevation in high moisture situations. If the shower develops a strong updraft, a funnel cloud can form. But the cloud usually is close to the ground and lacks the wind shear necessary to produce tornadic winds.

"Today they had little or no wind shear," Packett said.

The National Weather Service issued a severe weather statement after the land spouts were spotted because the system was moving toward Stoddard County. But the system had weakened so that no spouts were seen when it reached there.

One of the land spouts reportedly touched down but caused no damage.

A similar situation occurred in Evansville, Ind., last weekend, Packett said. "People were getting freaked out."