NATCHEZ — At least two local residents took pictures Sunday from the Natchez bluff that suggested tornadic activity across the Mississippi River in Concordia Parish.

“We were watching several funnel clouds come down and then were absorbed up into the clouds,” Vidalia resident Betsy Sawyer said.

Describing herself as an avid weather-watcher, Sawyer said she and Wayne Pilgreen saw the funnel clouds when they were watching three storm cells across the river merge together.

Of the funnel clouds she witnessed, Sawyer said only one appeared to reach the ground, but that because the clouds were so far away she could not be sure.

Natchez resident Roy King said he also photographed a funnel cloud that he said he thought touched the ground.

King also was on the Natchez bluff watching the same three storm cells with an out-of-town visitor. King said when he took photographs, the funnel clouds was breaking apart.

“It looked like a white whisp toward the very end as it dissipated,” King said.

After seeing the cloud, King said he called the Vidalia Police Department to report the dangerous weather conditions. King said he was disappointed by the reponse from the police department.

“He said I had called the wrong agency and suggested I call 911,” King said. 

King said he thought about calling 911, but didn’t know if a call from his cellphone would go to the right agency. Because the funnel cloud appeared to be in the Vidalia area, he called the Vidalia Police Department instead.

Vidalia Police Chief Joey Merrill said his office is not equipped to issue tornado warnings to residents.

“We don’t have a tornado siren in Vidalia,” Merril said.

The town, Merril said, also doesn’t have a weather warning system that is broadcast on area cellphones such as Adams County and other areas have.

Merrill said reports of tornado sightings should most likely go to the National Weather Service, which would then issue a weather warning.

NWS meteorologist Ed Tarver said people who spot a tornado should call 601-936-2189 to talk with an official in the Jackson office, which covers both Adams County and Concordia Parish.

Tarver said Monday afternoon that his office did not receive any reports or confirmed sightings of funnel clouds in Adams County or Concordia Parish on Sunday.

Tarver said the weather service welcomes any photos of possible tornado sightings, which can be emailed at sr-jan.webmaster@noaa.gov.

“We could definitely take a look,” Tarver said. 

The National Weather Service offers storm-spotter training as part of its SKYWARN program.

Sawyer said she has taken several weather-watcher courses offered through the National Weather Service and that she has learned a lot from the training.

“It is a fascinating course — well worth it,” Sawyer said.

No local courses are scheduled in the area for the 2018. Schedules of local training courses and online training are offered at skywarn.org.