Tornado warning in effect until 1 p.m. (Weld County, Colorado)

Greeley Tribune ^ | 5/22/2008

[NorCoGOP]

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for West Central Weld County and East Centrla Larimer County until 1 p.m. today.

A tornado already has touched down in Gilcrest and Milliken, and there are reports that the storm has caused heavy damage near Promontory in west Greeley.

The Weather Serivce tracked a large tornado three miles southwest of the New Windsor reservoir, eight miles east of Fort Collins.

The National Weather Service reports that the safest place to be is in the basement. Get under a work bench or other piece of sturdy furniture. If there is no basement, seek shelter on the lowest floor of the building in an interior hallway or room such as a closet, the Weather Service reports.

[NorCoGOP]

Developing....downtown Windsor Colorado, and most of Windsor proper...GONE. State Farm regional HQ took direct hit, as did daycare center in Windsor...kids rushed to bank vault next door - all survived.

One death in west Greeley reported.

Video shows tornado as being ONE MILE WIDE.

[NorCoGOP]

Schools in Windsor and Fort Collins in lockdown. Started in Platteville - looks like a turkey farm destroyed, trucks blown off roads.

HUNDREDS of homes in Windsor destroyed/damaged....

[Alex Murphy]

Ping to read later

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Isn’t it way past 1 PM in Colorado?

[MtnClimber]

Huge hail storm here. There must be 1 inch of hail on the ground. Thankfully no tornadoes here. Hope everyone is unhurt in Windsor.

[Columbine]

It’s 1:30 MDT.

[SE Mom]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,357283,00.html

MILLIKEN, Colo. — A tornado caused heavy damage in the northern Colorado towns of Windsor and Greeley on Thursday, but no serious injuries were immediately reported.

“We have a lot of damage at this point,” said Brenda Stoman of the Windsor Fire Department.

She the tornado knocked down trees and shattered windows as well as damaging buildings.

Weld County sheriff’s spokeswoman Margie Martinez reported building damage in Greeley, about 10 miles east of Windsor.

Click here to track the storm.

She said the tornado also flipped over two tractor-trailer rigs.

High winds, heavy hail and rain were also reported.

Television video showed homes and buildings with roof damage and farm irrigation equipment crumpled.

Xcel Energy said electricity was knocked out to about 20,000 customers in northern Colorado.

Interstate 25 was closed in northern Colorado.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

That’s what I thought....

[444Flyer]

Prayers!

[Unrepentant VN Vet]

9News was also talking about a second twister near Dacono.

The weather radar looks real tough for that whole area.

Hang in there, neighbor.

[paulat]

Prayers up!! Just saw the raw video on Breitbart...scary!!

http://www.breitbart.tv/html/100613.html

[Columbine]

The watch has been extended to 8 p.m. and the warning until 1:45.

[NorCoGOP]

It's 1:35pm here in Colorado...just went 3-4 miles west of us apparently.

A news story like this takes time to develop...hit around noon our time.

From what TV is reporting, not much remains of Windsor...Water Valley subdivision - new, luxury homes, etc....hit, Kodak damaged...still developing.

[SE Mom]

[Clint N. Suhks]

Hope you’re Okay!

[NorCoGOP]

Per Greeley Tribune about State Farm:

Employees at the State Farm complex in Promontory in west Greeley are in lock down while company officials determine when they can release them. The should start releasing employees at 1:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, the complex has been closed and will remain so until at least noon Friday, said May Martinez-Hendershot, spokeswoman for the company.

"Our No. 1 concern is about the safety of our employees and we're happy to report there are no injuries," she said.

She said some windows have been blown out of the buildings as well as some of the vechiles in the parking lots. She also said some cars were blown around or tipped over.

[NorCoGOP]

That’s State Farm in the left edge of photo...

[Unrepentant VN Vet]

Looks to be moving off toward the NNW, in fact, NWS just popped a Tornado Warning box up toward Laramie, and there’s another cell out by Fort Morgan.

[NorCoGOP]

Video in from Windsor - looks like most homes suffered damage, and many are completely destroyed...wow.

[SE Mom]

That’s truly astonishing. I read they think this may have been a class 5, 200 MPH tornado.

[NorCoGOP]

No one on TV's talking F rating yet...still trying to get video of damage...if it wasn't at least F4, I'd be surprised just looking at the damage...video on channel 9 of the tornado moving was astonishing - looked a mile wide at least.

Other smaller tornadoes in Greeley, just west of the WalMart.

[NorCoGOP]

Swift meat packing headquarters, next door to State Farm, roof is gone.

[SE Mom]

I read that on MSNBC- and then clicked on local chopper coverage on CBS Denver and heard the pilot say 200 MPH winds.

I have friends in Fort Collins.

[SE Mom]

Neil Cavuto on FOX saying a day-care center took a hit - no other info available.

[cubreporter]

2:05pm.

[JenB]

OH my - I went to school in Fort Collins, one of my best friends lives in Windsor.

Praying she’s ok.

[NorCoGOP]

Windmill Daycare center did take direct hit. However, all 100+ children were rushed next door to a bank and rode it out in the vault...minor injuries was all.

[NorCoGOP]

Reliant K fan?

[NorCoGOP]

Per Greeley Tribune...

About 100 children at the Windmill Child Enhancement Center in Windsor are reported to be fine and are being taken to the Eastman Kodak plant in building C6.

The day care center was struck by a tornado, but no children were hurt.

[CowboyJay]

I grew up in that part of the state. Occasional twister, but NEVER anything that big. Prayers for everyone in that neck of the woods.

Sounds like it started in southern Weld and traveled pretty much due north? Any word on what happened in Gilcrest/Milliken/Johnstown?

[NorCoGOP]

This is/was a housing development near State Farm...about 10 miles from Windsor...houses are about 5 years old...or, were....

[NorCoGOP]

Tornado on the ground.

[NorCoGOP]

9 News reporting F3 strength.

[NorCoGOP]

Same storm now spawning confirmed tornadoes in Laramie, Wyoming.Wal Mart, High School reported hit.

Raw video feed here

Video shows Highway 34 running away from the camera...buildings in distance are the State Farm Regional Headquarters - tornado passed just behind them where Promontory housing development was.

[Proud2BeRight]

Our daughter has been periodically calling us to let us know our family there is OK.

[NorCoGOP]

Radio reporting 3 confirmed dead now...based on the damage, that number will unfortunately go higher I fear.

[mollynme]

Looks like it was just one killed now. Some guy was camping in an RV that was totally destroyed. I haven't heard if any are still missing. Below is an example of what it did in Windsor and here is some good raw video footage of the destruction from the Fox news copter.

[mollynme]

Everything OK with you guys? You’re up by Greeley now, right?

[LibertyRocks]

Prayers for all those in the path of this storm. A former boss of mine lived in Windsor with his family. I sure hope they are OK...