TELLER COUNTY, Colo. — A rare high-altitude tornado touched down about four miles north Cripple Creek Friday, damaging trees and outbuildings on a Teller County commissioner's property.
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Pueblo said the EF-1 tornado occurred around 3:05 p.m.
On Saturday, Teller County Commissioner Dan Williams described the tornado on Facebook. In a phone call with News 5, he told our newsroom that there were no injuries, but it was quite an event.
He said he was alone at home when the tornado damaged around 20 acres of trees and an outbuilding on his property outside of Divide near Highway 67.
He is thankful for the quick response from all local emergency personnel in the area and the outpouring of support he has received from the Teller County community.
A team from the NWS and NOAA surveyed on Saturday and determined that most of the damage was caused by uprooted or snapped trees.
Although extremely rare, high-altitude tornadoes do occur in Colorado. There have been three tornado touchdowns in Park County, occurring on June 8, 2014, Aug. 18, 2009, and Aug. 23, 2008.
In 2011, a tornado was documented on Mount Evans with an elevation of 11,900 feet. And on June 20, 1975, an F2 tornado touched down in Pitkin County.
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