EADS, Colo.—At least five homes were destroyed early Friday after as many as three rare nighttime tornadoes reportedly ripped through sparsely populated counties on the southeastern Colorado plains.
The state emergency management division says tornadoes were reported in Prowers, Kiowa and Bent counties. At least one resident suffered minor injuries after being trapped in a home near Chivington, Kiowa County authorities said.
Theresa Brown of Chivington says there was no warning before her house was destroyed. She says three adults and two children escaped.
The Lamar fire department says a large and fast-moving tornado was spotted by deputy sheriffs and Colorado State Patrol troopers south of Lamar. At least two people were injured.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.
At least 10 buildings were damaged early Friday after as many as three rare nighttime tornadoes reportedly ripped through sparsely populated counties on the southeastern Colorado plains.
The state emergency management division said tornadoes were reported in Prowers, Kiowa and Bent counties. At least one resident suffered minor injuries after being trapped in a home near Chivington, Kiowa County authorities said.
Chris Sorensen, spokesman for the Colorado Division of Emergency Management, said the areas hit were mostly isolated farmland. A tractor-trailer was blown over on Colorado Highway 96 near Chivington.
Lamar Fire Chief Marshall Cook told the Denver Post ( ) that a tornado skirted the southern and eastern edges of the Prowers County town with about 8,000 residents, destroying five to seven homes within a few miles east and northeast of town.
Near Chivington, Mandy Adamson, who works at the Co-Op Service Station in Eads, said the damage was isolated.
“All I know is that it traveled into Lamar from someplace else, it got a ranch near there and it went up (north) to Chivington and that’s where it took out another house,” Adamson said.
Overnight tornadoes are rare in Colorado, where the temperature usually drops at night, said forecaster Patrick Cioffi. The severe weather hit after near record highs in the 80s. Tornado season usually doesn’t begin until May in Colorado.
The National Weather Service said a survey team was heading to the area to confirm any touchdowns. The same band of storms also dropped snow in Breckenridge and the Eisenhower Tunnel, said forecaster Todd Dankers in Boulder. High winds swept the Western Slope, but no injuries were reported, he said.
Kiowa County emergency manager Jeffrey Wright said authorities were going home to home to locate residents. Power was out in several areas, and state transportation officials said motorists were having trouble finding gas.
