Tornado damages 19 homes near Elizabeth in Elbert County
Residents in the community just north of Elizabeth told FOX31 the tornado quickly evolved from high winds.
View the latest Weather Alerts in Denver and across Colorado on FOX31
'The wind was ferocious, it was crazy,' said one resident.
The FOX31 Pinpoint Weather Beast drove through roof shingles, siding and other debris on each side of County Road 194. Derek Smith told FOX31 he was mowing his lawn when he witnessed the abrupt increase in wind gusts and saw the roof come off of one home.
'It was all swirling and the roof stayed up and then came back down, then the other structures just started, just collapsing,' he said.
Smith said he was struck in the back by a piece of flying debris.
'We went inside and we can see it was moving across, and then once it cleared, then we went over and made sure everyone was OK,' he said.
The Elbert County Office of Emergency Management told FOX31 preparations were made ahead of time when high winds were forecasted.
'We were on alert before this even started. The Fire Department for this area were ready and had extra personnel,' said spokesperson Juliet Madsen.
At least 20 structures damaged by tornadoes in eastern Colorado on Sunday
Sheriff's deputies closed several roads and will remain on the scene to protect the affected properties. A damage assessment team will visit the area on Monday.
Smith's home was not damaged. He says his heart goes out to his neighbors who must rebuild and repair damaged homes.
'We're very lucky, just the grace of God,' he said.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Evacuations ordered after wildfire sparks in northern Colorado
Evacuations have been ordered after a wildfire broke out in northern Colorado on Thursday. The North Lone Pine Fire sparked to the west of Red Feather Lakes in Larimer County around 3 p.m. According to NoCo Alert, mandatory evacuations have been ordered near Deadman Road, including County Road 86. Authorities said residents in the area need to leave immediately. Images from the U.S. Forest Service show smoke rising in the distance from the Deadman Lookout camera. In a tweet, the USFS said the fire is currently estimated to be 5-10 acres and is torching and spotting. Helicopters are en route to help with suppression efforts.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Hurricane Erin Pulling Gusts, Waves Away From The US
Hurricane Erin's holding strong as a hurricane as it moves away from the US. While conditions are beginning to improve, the storm will continue to threaten much of the East Coast with dangerous rip currents, stretching from Florida to New York. Here's the latest.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
NFL Reporter Laura Rutledge Reveals Unexpected Situation for Commanders-Bengals Game
Monday Night Football is back on ESPN for some preseason football. It's the Washington Commanders hosting the Cincinnati Bengals at Northwest Stadium as these two sides look to mark their first win in the Commanders are coming off a 48-18 loss to the New England Patriots in their first preseason matchup, while the Bengals also lost out to the defending champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, in their preseason opener, Rutledge and the rest of ESPN's Monday Night Football crew will be providing coverage for the preseason matchup. A few hours before kickoff, the 36-year-old sportscaster took to social media to reveal an unexpected development ahead of the game."Alright, we didn't realize that rain was in the forecast, but here we are," Rutledge said. "You can't see it, but it's raining. Either way, Monday Night Football preseason coming your way." Rutledge shot her video on the sidelines, with the field at Northwest Stadium as her background. It remains to be seen if the rain will continue through kickoff, but the weather conditions could make this preseason matchup a bit more on her statement, it does not seem like Rutledge and the crew were prepared for the rain, but as always, the show must go the Bengals who are slightly favored to come out on top of this Week 2 preseason showdown. Per Action Network, Cincinnati is a -192 favorite to win outright, while Washington is +156 to pull off the upset at home. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 18, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
