Elbert County, Colorado tornado rated an EF2

June 17, 7:51 AMDenver Weather ExaminerTony Hake

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The National Weather Service said this twister in Elbert County
was an EF2 packing winds from 111 to 135 mph.  Image courtesy
Emilia Greenlee. See amazing images of damage from the
twister in our slideshow below.

The National Weather Service has completed its survey of Monday’s tornado’s in Elbert County and determined a total of three twisters touched down.  Of those, the strongest was rated an EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale packing winds from 111 to 135 mph.

• Slideshow: Amazing images of the damage
• Video: Elbert County tornado - Incredible
• Related: Colorado storms cost $161 million - Fifth highest toll on record

Video taken of the largest twister showed a monstrous funnel that was on the ground for nearly 10 minutes.  The National Weather Service assessment said the tornado initially touched down eight miles south southwest of Elizabeth as an EF0 tornado.  It then moved southeast, intensifying to an EF1 and EF2 for approximately one mile.  The tornado then moved south for two miles with damage rated at up to an EF2 rating.  It continued for one more mile, weakening to an EF1 and eventually an EF0 before dissipating.  The service said the tornado covered a total distance of four miles and at one point was ¼ of a mile wide.

The two smaller tornadoes were short lived and much weaker.  One occurred four miles south of Elbert and the other five miles southeast of Elbert.  Both were rated EF0’s.

Colorado is recovering from a lengthy, seemingly continuous period of severe weather that lasted nine days straight.  Damage estimates have placed an initial cost of more than $161 million from the hail and tornadoes the storms have brought to the state.  Click here for details on the cost of the storms.