Colorado is west of “Tornado Alley” – the strip of states where tornadoes are most likely to form. Yet, the county in the U.S. with the most twisters is in Northern Colorado: Weld County, with nearly 300 since 1950.
Metro Denver is not immune either. Mid June 1988, a rash of severe thunderstorms produced six tornadoes in one afternoon – at rush hour. An F2 uprooted hundreds of elm trees in northeast Denver, while an F3 with wind speeds of 150-200 mph damaged nearly a hundred buildings downtown. Nobody was seriously injured. Among those who survived: a golfer thrown 40 feet, a woman who was sucked through a convenience store window while holding a baby, and a man who clung to a telephone pole in winds strong enough to rip off both his shoes, a sock and shirt buttons.
About Colorado Postcards
Colorado Postcards are snapshots of our colorful state in sound. They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado.
