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.