Tornadoes, Funnel Clouds Menace Area
Front Range Residents Snap Photos Of Weather Action
POSTED: 2:40 pm MDT June 15, 2004
UPDATED: 6:20 pm MDT June 15, 2004
At least two tornadoes touched down along the Front Range Tuesday afternoon as funnels threatened the area from Sedalia to Brush.
Castle Rock police confirmed that a tornado touched down in the Plum Creek subdivision of the city shortly before 2:30 p.m., and damaged a machine shop work shed located at 1731 Douglas Lane. There was no one in the shed at the time. Some trees near the shed were also damaged, the sheriff's office reported.
Ryan Richter saw a funnel from his deck in Castle Rock and took the picture on the left.Another tornado hit a home in Elbert County, causing damage to the home and trees around the home."We have some broken windows and I think we're going to need a new roof," said Jan Stanton, the homeowner. "I heard somebody say that probably because of the old trees around our house, it probably saved the house."The family was not home at the time, and came home to find the damage and their dog missing.In all, at least five tornadoes were reported east of Denver and a sixth touched
down near Penrose, 80 miles south of Denver and 25 miles northeast
of Pueblo. Hail from the storms ranged from pea-size to an inch in diameter, said Randy Gray, a
meteorological technician with the Weather Service.Other funnel clouds were also spotted in the area, but none touched down. The storm was headed northeast in the direction of Byers, and Deer Trail. A second tornado was spotted in Elbert County. Look At Pictures Of Tuesday's Twisters
The sightings prompted the National Weather Service to issue several tornado warnings for Adams, Douglas and Elbert counties.Before the warnings expired, several other funnels were spotted in storm cells that were stretched from Douglas County into Fort Morgan County. Heavy rain caused street flooding in Colorado Springs, Gray
said. A half inch of rain was recorded at the Colorado Springs
Airport.The safest place to be during a tornado is in a basement. Get under a workbench or other piece of sturdy furniture. If no basement is available you should seek shelter on the lowest floor of the building in an interior hallway or room such as a closet. Use blankets or pillows to cover your body and always stay away from windows.If in mobile homes or vehicles, evacuate them and get inside a substantial shelter. If no shelter is available, lie flat in the nearest ditch or other low spot and cover your head with your hands.
Castle Rock police confirmed that a tornado touched down in the Plum Creek subdivision of the city shortly before 2:30 p.m., and damaged a machine shop work shed located at 1731 Douglas Lane. There was no one in the shed at the time. Some trees near the shed were also damaged, the sheriff's office reported.|
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The sightings prompted the National Weather Service to issue several tornado warnings for Adams, Douglas and Elbert counties.Before the warnings expired, several other funnels were spotted in storm cells that were stretched from Douglas County into Fort Morgan County. Heavy rain caused street flooding in Colorado Springs, Gray
said. A half inch of rain was recorded at the Colorado Springs
Airport.The safest place to be during a tornado is in a basement. Get under a workbench or other piece of sturdy furniture. If no basement is available you should seek shelter on the lowest floor of the building in an interior hallway or room such as a closet. Use blankets or pillows to cover your body and always stay away from windows.If in mobile homes or vehicles, evacuate them and get inside a substantial shelter. If no shelter is available, lie flat in the nearest ditch or other low spot and cover your head with your hands.Latest Tornado Warning Text
TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 540 PM MDT TUE JUN 15 2004* TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN LINCOLN COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL COLORADO* UNTIL 630 PM MDT* AT 540 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM WITH A POSSIBLE TORNADO 3 MILES SOUTH OF HUGO...OR ABOUT 18 MILES SOUTHEAST OF LIMON...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. THIS STORM WAS PART OF A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM 12 MILES NORTH OF SIEBERT TO PUNKIN CENTER.LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...ARRIBA... BOYERO...FORDER...HUGO...KARVAL...PUNKIN CENTER AND WILD HORSE POINT.IN ADDITION TO POSSIBLE TORNADOES...THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND UP TO AN INCH OF RAIN IN 30 MINUTES.DO NOT USE YOUR CAR TO TRY TO OUTRUN A TORNADO. CARS ARE EASILY TOSSED AROUND BY TORNADO WINDS. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...LEAVE THE CAR AND GO TO A STRONG BUILDING. IF NO STRUCTURE IS NEARBY...SEEK SHELTER IN A DITCH OR LOW SPOT.THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS. Additional Resources:
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