Severe weather races by

Seymour and Jackson County escaped the brunt of a strong storm cell that raced across southern Indiana late Sunday afternoon.

Neighboring Lawrence County wasn't as fortunate.

Duane Davis of Jackson County Emergency Management office said he spoke with the regional director of Indiana Department of Homeland Security who was en route to  help coordinate responses to "two significant hard hit areas" in the Bedford area.

Lawrence County officials could not be reached Sunday night for comment.

Unconfirmed reports of funnel clouds were reported in the Seymour and Jonesville areas.

Leslie Ault, a dispatcher with Jackson County Sheriff's Department, said she had received no reports of damage.

"We've only heard about a traffic light out in Seymour," Ault said by phone around 4:40 p.m. Sunday.

That signal was out at Tipton Street and Myers Lane on the city's east side, Sgt. Jack Swindell of Seymour Police Department said.

The storm knocked out power to about 80 customers in Seymour, according to Duke Energy's Web site.

Swindell said city dispatchers received four calls from people reporting what they thought appeared to be funnel clouds over Seymour and another caller reported what appeared to be a funnel cloud in the area of County Road 300 North and Farmington Road south of Seymour.

None were confirmed, Swindell said.

Davis said he had heard of a power line down at a residence in Jackson County and had also heard of an unconfirmed report of a funnel cloud touch down in the Jonesville area north of Seymour in Bartholomew County.

Brittney Watson, a dispatcher with Bartho-lomew County central disptach, said her office received a report of a possible tornado touching down from a motorist driving on Indiana 11 near Jonesville.

"It was not confirmed," Watson said. She added police had received no reports of damage.

A series of tornado warnings tracked the storm from the southwest to the northeast, racing through Dubois, Martin, Lawrence, Jackson and Jennings counties, the National Weather Service said.

Seymour's storm warnings were triggered around 4:23 p.m. Sunday as the storm cell approached from the west.

Assistant Police Chief Craig Hayes gave the OK to sound the storm sirens, Swindell said, once a warning came from the National Weather Service. 

The agency's Indianapolis office said there were reports of funnel clouds and tornadoes in southwestern Indiana, with straight-line winds reported in excess of 80 mph.

Coincidentally, Jackson County Emergency Management office is offering a severe weather spotter class at 7 p.m. today at Jackson County Education Center, 1000 S. Poplar St. in Seymour.
Next week, March 15-21, is Severe Weather Preparedness Week.