TELLER COUNTY, Colo. — A rare high-altitude tornado touched down in Pike National Forest near Divide in Teller County Tuesday, downing trees and power lines in the area, according to the National Weather Service.
The tornado, which has yet to be given an Enhanced Fujita scale ranking, was reported to have touched down at 12:40 p.m. Tuesday about two miles northwest of Divide, the NWS report confirmed.
There were no reports of damaged homes or injuries.
The storm knocked over mailboxes and fences and caused power outages for area residents.
However, power restoration efforts were swift, with linemen working to stabilize leaning poles along Highway 24, Teller County Commissioner Dan Williams told KOAA-TV, Denver7’s Colorado Springs news partner.
Dennis Luttrell, director of the Divide Fire Protection District, told the Colorado Springs station that the downed trees completely changed the landscape.
“You can probably see this beautiful view of the Peak that didn’t exist until all these trees were knocked down," said Luttrell. "So, now we have this lovely view, but at the expense of all this damage.”
Teller County residents are urged to inspect rooftops for storm damage, particularly metal and cedar shake shingles.
High-altitude twisters may be rare, but tornadoes have been reported in the same area in Teller County each year for the past couple of years.
Last year, an EF1 tornado touched down about four miles north of Cripple Creek, damaging trees and outbuildings on a Teller County commissioner's property.
High-altitude tornadoes have been reported in other parts of the state.
There have been three tornado touchdowns in Park County, occurring on June 8, 2014, Aug. 18, 2009, and Aug. 23, 2008.
In 2011, a tornado was documented on Mount Evans with an elevation of 11,900 feet. On June 20, 1975, an F2 tornado touched down in Pitkin County.
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