The National Meteorological Center has released a preliminary report for this Tornado damage at Highlands Farm. Thursday’s tornado is rated as an EF-1 tornado on the Enhanced Fujita scale, the NWS says.
The violent storm traveled a total of 6.3 miles across northern Douglas County from West Highlands Ranch to Lone Tree. Estimated peak winds were 97. But that number could increase after the NWS inspects the damage in person on Friday. The width of the damage path is estimated to be 1/4 mile wide.
In addition to the tornado in Highlands Ranch, a second tornado touched down near Peyton, northeast of Colorado Springs.
Thursday’s storm left a devastating trail of hail from Evergreen to Elbert County. Morrison had a hailstone egg size of 2 inches in diameter. Littleton North Highlands Farm had ping pong ball sized hail.
If the tornadoes, winds and hail weren’t enough, the storm drenched the south metro area with flooding rains. Thursday’s storm saw 1 to 4 inches of rain in some locations.