Tag Archives: Wiggins

May 7, 2016 Eastern Colorado tornadoes rated at EF-2s

Severe weather more typical of June than late September hit Colorado yesterday.Severe weather struck the plains of Colorado on Saturday spawning multiple tornadoes.  The two most powerful of these, one near Wiggins and another near Wray, have been rated EF-2s on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

Damage and injuries from both twisters were relatively light, certainly not as bad as they could have been.

The tornado west of Wiggins crossed I-76 and traveled nearly 9 miles reaching 3/4 of a mile wide at one point.  It ripped through a private campground at Empire Reservoir damaging and destroying multiple RVs.  There were some minor injuries with the storm.

Further east, near Wray, multiple tornadoes were reported, the most significant of which damaged three residences and businesses near the town’s borders.  It traveled about 8 miles and at its widest was 440 yards across.

Three other tornadoes were confirmed near Wray although they caused no damage and were rated EF-0s.

Below is some amazing video of the tornado near Wray. Scroll below that for the detailed damage survey from the National Weather Service.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
314 PM MDT MON MAY 9 2016

...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 05/07/16 TORNADO EVENT ACROSS MORGAN
AND WELD COUNTIES - UPDATE # 1...

.UPDATE...ADDING ADDITIONAL TORNADOES.

.OVERVIEW...A TORNADO DEVELOPED JUST SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 76 OVER
WELD COUNTY AND THEN MOVE NORTH ACROSS EMPIRE RESERVOIR BEFORE
LIFTING 2 MILES NORTHWEST OF ORCHARD IN MORGAN COUNTY.  THERE WERE
TWO MINOR INJURIES WHEN A CAMPER WAS ROLLED OVER.  IN ADDITION SEVERAL
CAMPERS WERE DESTROYED AT EMPIRE RESERVOIR.

.TORNADO # 1

RATING: EF-2
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 115-120 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 8.8 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/:  1320 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0 INJURIES: 2

START DATE:             MAY_07_2016
START TIME:             255 PM_MDT
START LOCATION:         5 WEST OF WIGGINS/WELD COUNTY


END DATE:               MAY_07_2016
END TIME:               310 PM_MDT
END LOCATION:           2 NORTHWEST OF ORCHARD/MORGAN COUNTY


SURVEY_SUMMARY:  MOST OF THE DAMAGE WAS EF0 TO EF1 HOWEVER THERE
WERE A FEW AREAS OF EF2.  THE TORNADO WAS LARGE AND 3/4 OF A
MILE WIDE AT ITS PEAK.

.TORNADO # 2...

RATING:                 EF-0
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    85 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  0.5 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/:   50 YARDS
FATALITIES:             0
INJURIES:               0

START DATE:             MAY_07_2016
START TIME:             315 PM_MDT
START LOCATION:         6 NORTH OF ORCHARD/MORGAN COUNTY

END DATE:               MAY_07_2016
END TIME:               316 PM_MDT
END LOCATION:           7 NORTH OF ORCHARD/MORGAN COUNTY


.TORNADO # 3...

RATING:                 EF-0
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    85 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  0.5 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/:   50 YARDS
FATALITIES:             0
INJURIES:               0

START DATE:             05_07_2016
START TIME:             325 PM_MDT
START LOCATION:         14 SOUTHWEST NEW RAYMER/WELD COUNTY

END DATE:               05_07_2016
END TIME:               326 PM_MDT
END LOCATION:           13 SOUTHWEST NEW RAYMER/WELD COUNTY


.TORNADO # 4...

RATING:                 EF-0
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    85 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  0.5 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/:   50 YARDS
FATALITIES:             0
INJURIES:               0

START DATE:             05_07_2016
START TIME:             335 PM_MDT
START LOCATION:         7 NORTHWEST FORT MORGAN/MORGAN COUNTY

END DATE:               05/07/2016
END TIME:               336 PM_MDT
END LOCATION:           8 NORTHWEST FORT MORGAN/MORGAN COUNTY

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
500 PM MDT SUN MAY 8 2016 /600 PM CDT SUN MAY 8 2016/

THIS INFORMATION IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE PENDING
FURTHER REVIEW OF DOPPLER RADAR, STORM SPOTTER REPORTS AND STORM
VIDEOS, WHICH ARE STILL ARRIVING INTO THE OFFICE.

...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 05/07/2016 TORNADO EVENT... 

.TORNADO #1...

RATING:                 EF-2
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    130 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  8 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/:   440 YARDS
FATALITIES:             0
INJURIES:               0

START DATE:             MAY 07 2016
START TIME:             551 PM MDT
START LOCATION:         2 N WRAY

END DATE:               MAY 07 2016
END TIME:               616 PM MDT
END LOCATION:           10 NNE WRAY

TORNADO PATH WAS ONLY SURVEYED BETWEEN 2 AND 5 MILES NORTH OF
WRAY ALONG AND JUST EAST OF HIGHWAY 385. TORNADO LIKELY CONTINUED
WELL NORTH-NORTHEAST OF WRAY BUT LACK OF ROADS PREVENTED FURTHER
SURVEY. THREE RESIDENCES AND TWO BUSINESSES NORTH OF WRAY WERE
IMPACTED...MAJORITY OF TRACK WAS OVER OPEN COUNTRY.


.TORNADO #2...

RATING: EF-0
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    85 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  0.5 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/:   25 YARDS
FATALITIES:             0
INJURIES:               0

START DATE:             MAY 07 2016
START TIME:             410 PM MDT
START LOCATION:         4 N HEARTSTRONG

END DATE:               MAY 07 2016
END TIME:               411 PM MDT
END LOCATION:           5 N HEARTSTRONG


.TORNADO #3...

RATING:                 EF-0
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    85 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  3 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/:   50 YARDS
FATALITIES:             0
INJURIES:               0

START DATE:             MAY 07 2016
START TIME:             454 PM MDT
START LOCATION:         4 N ECKLEY

END DATE:               MAY 07 2016
END TIME:               458 PM MDT
END LOCATION:           7 N ECKLEY


.TORNADO #4...

RATING:                 EF-0
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    85 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  1 MILE
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/:   50 YARDS
FATALITIES:             0
INJURIES:               0

START DATE:             MAY 07 2016
START TIME:             539 PM MDT
START LOCATION:         3 S WRAY

END DATE:               MAY 07 2016
END TIME:               541 PM MDT
END LOCATION:           2 S WRAY

THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE CLASSIFIES
TORNADOES INTO THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES.

EF0...WEAK......65 TO 85 MPH
EF1...WEAK......86 TO 110 MPH
EF2...STRONG....111 TO 135 MPH
EF3...STRONG....136 TO 165 MPH
EF4...VIOLENT...166 TO 200 MPH
EF5...VIOLENT...>200 MPH

NOTE:
THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO
CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENTS AND PUBLICATION IN
NWS STORM DATA.