At 7:00 p.m. Mountain Time, Yuma County Sheriff’s Office activated Incident Command in response to a reported weather incident occurring north of Yuma, Colorado at approximately County Road 44 to County Road 48, along Highway 59.
First calls were received at the W-Y Communications beginning at 6:30 p.m. when 911 calls were received from Washington County indicating a funnel cloud was touching down near Akron, CO and remained consistent as the storm cell crossed over into Yuma County. Yuma Fire Department was dispatched to Washington County to assist; Deputies north of Yuma were on hand to assist immediately with the reported tornadic activity north of Yuma.
Yuma County Sheriff Chad Day confirmed that there was damage consistent with what would be expected from a tornado, but this remains unconfirmed with the National Weather Service at this time. Damage includes several structures and center pivot irrigation sprinklers ranging as far west as County Road C and as far east as County Road 46 and County Road Q.
There was a report of pigs running loose at County Road 45 and County Road J from a damaged hog facility, but they are contained at this time. There are no reported injuries. Damages to livestock are currently being assessed; however there is a report of a telephone pole that went through a destroyed grain bin and downed power poles throughout the area. Further damage reports will be assessed tomorrow by the Emergency Manager and Yuma County Sheriff’s Office in the morning when the sun is out.
Fire crews, Yuma County Road and Bridge, CDOT, and Tri-State are currently on scene in Yuma County to assess potential hazards to structures and power lines now. Y-W Electric is on-scene addressing downed power lines in Washington County. The incident command was transferred to the on-scene personnel as no further reports of turbulent weather or community distress are being reported at this time.