Colorado, 1997

Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Colorado, July 28, 1997

July 28, 1997 · NWS BOU · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

2 flood, 2 tornado, 1 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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.

The radar

The Cheyenne radar (KCYS), 77 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:57 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 flood, 2 tornado, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Larimer

When
July 28, 5:00 AM MST to 11:00 AM MST
Where
Larimer County, Teds Place
Coordinates
40.666, -105.461 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Monsoon moisture continued to stream over the area. Nearly 6 inches of rainfall was measured at the mouth of Poudre Canyon during the morning hours. Some minor flooding occurred in some businesses in Laporte. Up to 6 inches of standing water covered portions of the roadway near Teds Place.

Tornado, Douglas

When
July 28, 2:00 PM MST to 4:00 PM MST
Where
Douglas County, Parker
Rating
F1
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
50 yd
Coordinates
39.520, -104.770

A weak touched tornado down damaging a greenhouse as 20 pieces of the fibreglass roof were ripped away. The exact time of the incident was unknown.

Flood, Jefferson

When
July 28, 3:40 PM MST to 6:10 PM MST
Where
Jefferson County, Pine
Coordinates
39.586, -105.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Some culverts in the Pine and Conifer areas were washed out due to heavy rainfall.

Flash Flood, Weld

When
July 28, 5:00 PM MST to 7:00 PM MST
Where
Weld County, Ft Lupton
Coordinates
40.555, -104.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

More heavy rainfall continued to soak the region as 4 to 7 inches reportedly fell near Hudson. Several basements in the area were flooded up to the ceiling. Four county roads were closed due to rising floodwaters. Standing water, up to 3 feet deep, was reported in some backyards.

Tornado, Elbert

When
July 28, 6:55 PM MST
Where
Elbert County, Kutch
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
50 yd
Coordinates
38.900, -103.870

What these are

Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
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.
Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Colorado in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Colorado, 1997Warnings in Colorado, July 1997

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: 5607368, 5607372, 5607370, 5607369, 5607371.