PROWERS COUNTY, Colo. – The destructive tornado that tore through parts of Prowers County Friday was rated an EF-3, the National Weather Service announced Saturday.
The preliminary finding comes after an NWS team completed their damage survey of Friday’s storm that destroyed multiple structures in the southeastern Colorado county.
An EF-3 tornado has sustained winds of between 136 and 165 mph. The team said further analysis is needed to hone down the estimated wind speed.
No significant injuries were reported when the tornado touched down 15 miles south of the town of Granada.
The Prowers County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that multiple structures, including a home, were “completely destroyed by the tornado.”
The county said on Tuesday that a donation account was set up at TBK Bank for the homeowners, John and Myrna DuVall. The fund will help them with the costs stemming from the losses on their property. Community State Bank in Lamar also set up a donation account for the family.
The tornado also destroyed multiple outbuildings and vehicles, the sheriff's office said, adding eight cows were also killed in the tornado's path.
EF-3 tornados have a 3.4% relative frequency of occurrence in Colorado, according to the Colorado Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management. However, the region where Friday’s tornado struck has seen its share of storms.
In 2007, an EF-3 tornado cut a four-block-wide swath through the town of Holly, destroying 35 homes and injuring 11 people.
The NWS said data from Friday's storm will continue to be analyzed and released when completed.
Friday’s tornado in Prowers County was one of several reported on the Eastern Plains since Wednesday.
Earlier this week, a tornado touched down west of Sterling, destroying a house, garage and trees around the property. A day later, another destructive tornado hit Highlands Ranch in the Denver metro area.
