Colorado, 1996

Tornado in Colorado, May 30, 1996

May 30, 1996 · NWS BOU · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A large tornado estimated to be 1/2 mile wide in diameter caused approximately $300,000 damage to a farmstead near Elba as it destroyed several grain silos, storage sheds and vehicles. Only the home on the farm was spared.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
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  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
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  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$300,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS BOU wrote it up.

A large tornado estimated to be 1/2 mile wide in diameter caused approximately $300,000 damage to a farmstead near Elba as it destroyed several grain silos, storage sheds and vehicles. Only the home on the farm was spared.

The radar

The Denver radar (KFTG), 118 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:23 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Washington

When
May 30, 3:25 PM MST to 3:45 PM MST
Where
Washington County, Elba
Rating
F3
Path length
0.5 mi
Path width
1,320 yd
Property damage
$300,000
Coordinates
39.920, -103.180

What these are

Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Colorado in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Colorado, 1996Warnings in Colorado, May 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5553565.