Seven properties were severely damaged, including two homes destroyed, by a landspout tornado that tore a 6-mile path through Weld County on Monday, unleashing winds up to 99 mph.
The two homes destroyed, with damage exceeding more than 50%, were valued at $429,176, said Jennifer Finch, a county spokeswoman. Three homes sustained damages totaling $101,336 and two businesses, a feedlot and a dairy farm, also had damage.
“The feedlot suffered the loss of two buildings — one from a fire caused by a downed power line and the other from the tornado,” Finch said. “The dairy was hit but had limited damage to roofs and some out buildings.”
The county’s office of emergency management is working with the businesses to obtain damage cost estimates for the properties. No people were injured.
There was, however, a loss of dairy livestock, said Terry Fankhauser, executive vice president of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association.
“There was certainly some loss and costs, it certainly made a mess of things,” Fankhauser said.
The National Weather Service classified the storm as an EF1, with maximum sustained winds of 99 mph.
The weather service in Boulder reported a funnel cloud at about 5:24 p.m. Monday north of Firestone. The twister was on the ground for about a half-hour, traveling northwest toward Platteville.
“We got to the center of the house, laid down on the floor and hoped for the best,” Platteville resident Gerald Rusch told the Daily Camera. “It didn’t take the house. I was expecting the roof to be gone.”
The quickly developing severe storm happened when meteorologists weren’t particularly expecting such a serious storm. On a relatively clear day, the cell was extremely isolated, making it highly visible even from the Denver metro. The twister likely extended 10,000 feet into the sky, which would make it visible from 70 miles.
@ChrisCBS4 here’s a view from Flagstaff Mtn. First view of tornado! Visiting from California. pic.twitter.com/m09YUjiNXk
— Tahoetrekker (@Tahoetrekker1) June 8, 2021
Weld County’s Office of Emergency Management reported the tornado traveled between Colorado 66 and Weld County Road 42, between Weld County roads 17 and 13.
The nearest city was Fort Lupton, which suffered no damage as the tornado skirted the edge of the municipality.
“No damage in Fort Lupton; we sounded the sirens and monitored the situation,” Fort Lupton Fire Chief Phil Tiffanysaid. “We had our monthly siren test at noon, and we didn’t expect any issues. Around 5 p.m., we were in a meeting, and we got notified something could happen, and eight minutes later, we started hearing there may be a tornado on the ground.”
Fort Lupton Fire Department had crews ready to respond to the situation.
