Simultaneous waterspouts spotted swirling off of Louisiana coast

Sightings of waterspouts churning off the state of Louisiana Thursday were reported, as videos and images circulated on social media.

One video shows up to six waterspouts southwest of Galliano.

Another shows a massive spout up close in Leevilee, La., near Grand Isle, according to New Orleans-based meteorologist Scot Pilie.

Ed Piotrowski, a meteorologist at WPDE, described it as the "most picturesque spouts I've ever seen. It almost looks like War of the Worlds out there!"

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) splits waterspouts into two categories: fair weather and tornadic.

Tornadic waterspouts are tornadoes that form over bodies of water and are associated with severe thunderstorms and extreme weather, according to authorities. They develop downward from the sky.

Fair weather waterspouts develop from the surface of the water upward beneath forming clouds, according to the NOAA. These typically move very little and dissipate rapidly if they make landfall.

FOX News contributed to this report