The National Weather Service has completed their damage assessments of this past Sunday’s tornadoes in Arapahoe and Adams counties. The service tallied four twisters, three rated EF-2 and one EF-1.
The largest of the twisters, northeast of Bennett, hit an estimated peak wind speed of 112 mph. Its damage path was nearly five miles long and at times, 400 yards wide. It was on the ground for 15 minutes.
A second twister before that one started in Arapahoe County and ended in Adams. It saw max winds of 125 mph, a path just over 5 miles long and a maximum width of 200 yards.
Details on the twisters are:
Public Information Statement…CORRECTED
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
1153 AM MDT Wed May 21 2025
…NWS Damage Survey for 05/18/25 Tornado Event…
Overview…Four tornadoes occurred just to the south and east of metro Denver in the early afternoon of Sunday, May 18th. The first tornado that produced damage in northwest Elbert County was an uncharacteristically strong landspout, as well at the last tornado that occurred northeast of Bennett. The other two tornadoes were more strongly associated with a parent thunderstorm, known as a supercell.
The following information is for four separate tornado tracks surveyed on May 19th. The first is for the initial tornado, rated EF2, in and near the Elkhorn neighborhood of extreme northwest Elbert County, Colorado. The second is an EF1 that occurred south of Manila Village. The third and fourth tornadoes were both ranked EF2. These tornadoes tracked just to the west and north of Bennett, Colorado. They were two separate tornadoes, and were both on the ground at the same time between 140 pm and 146 pm. All data is preliminary and subject to change as new information is received.
.Elkhorn Ranch…
Rating: EF2
Estimated Peak Wind: 125 mph
Path Length /statute/: 0.94 miles
Path Width /maximum/: 50 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0
Start Date: 05/18/2025
Start Time: 01:07 PM MDT
Start Location: 6 SSW Oea Building / Elbert County / CO
Start Lat/Lon: 39.5584 / -104.6226
End Date: 05/18/2025
End Time: 01:12 PM MDT
End Location: 5 SSW Oea Building / Arapahoe County / CO
End Lat/Lon: 39.5693 / -104.6123
.Manila Rd…
Rating: EF1
Estimated Peak Wind: 95 mph
Path Length /statute/: 2.53 miles
Path Width /maximum/: 75 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0
Start Date: 05/18/2025
Start Time: 01:23 PM MDT
Start Location: 2 NE Oea Building / Arapahoe County / CO
Start Lat/Lon: 39.6614 / -104.5519
End Date: 05/18/2025
End Time: 01:32 PM MDT
End Location: 4 SSW Manila Village / Arapahoe County / CO
End Lat/Lon: 39.6917 / -104.527
.Bennett…
Rating: EF2
Estimated Peak Wind: 125 mph
Path Length /statute/: 5.09 miles
Path Width /maximum/: 200 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0
Start Date: 05/18/2025
Start Time: 01:30 PM MDT
Start Location: 3 SSE Manila Village / Arapahoe County / CO
Start Lat/Lon: 39.7191 / -104.4948
End Date: 05/18/2025
End Time: 01:46 PM MDT
End Location: 1 NNW Bennett / Adams County / CO
End Lat/Lon: 39.7706 / -104.4394
.NE Bennett…
Rating: EF2
Estimated Peak Wind: 112 mph
Path Length /statute/: 4.62 miles
Path Width /maximum/: 400 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0
Start Date: 05/18/2025
Start Time: 01:40 PM MDT
Start Location: 2 NNE Bennett / Adams County / CO
Start Lat/Lon: 39.7838 / -104.4074
End Date: 05/18/2025
End Time: 01:55 PM MDT
End Location: 6 NNE Bennett / Adams County / CO
End Lat/Lon: 39.8397 / -104.379
&&
EF Scale: The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the
following categories:
EF0…..65 to 85 mph
EF1…..86 to 110 mph
EF2…..111 to 135 mph
EF3…..136 to 165 mph
EF4…..166 to 200 mph
EF5…..>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.