Tornadoes · United States · Colorado

Tornadoes in Elbert County, Colorado

127 tornadoes have crossed Elbert County since 1950, 5th of the 54 counties in Colorado with a tornado on record, an average of 1.7 a year. They have killed 0 people and injured 0. None was rated F4 or above.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The United States rated tornadoes on Ted Fujita’s F scale until 31 January 2007 and on the Enhanced Fujita scale after it. Both run from 0 to 5, and both rate the damage rather than measure the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. F0 / EF040 to 72 mph on the F scale, 65 to 85 mph on the EF scale

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. F1 / EF173 to 112 mph on the F scale, 86 to 110 mph on the EF scale

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. F2 / EF2113 to 157 mph on the F scale, 111 to 135 mph on the EF scale

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. F3 / EF3158 to 206 mph on the F scale, 136 to 165 mph on the EF scale

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. F4 / EF4207 to 260 mph on the F scale, 166 to 200 mph on the EF scale

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. F5 / EF5261 to 318 mph on the F scale, over 200 mph on the EF scale

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

Now

Tornadoes
127
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
F4 and above
0
Worst on record
F3, June 6, 1990

The strongest

  1. F3, Elbert County, ColoradoJune 6, 1990F3, 7.0 mi (11 km)
  2. F2, Elbert County, ColoradoJune 4, 1983F2, 8.0 mi (13 km)
  3. EF2, Elbert and El Paso counties, ColoradoJune 7, 2012EF2, 7.5 mi (12 km)
  4. F2, Elbert County, ColoradoMay 10, 2004F2, 6.0 mi (10 km)
  5. EF2, Elbert County, ColoradoJune 15, 2009EF2, 4.0 mi (6 km)
  6. F2, Elbert County, ColoradoJune 14, 1982F2, 2.0 mi (3 km)
  7. EF2, Arapahoe and Elbert counties, ColoradoMay 18, 2025EF2, 0.9 mi (2 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 45 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Elbert County. Each year links to every tornado in Colorado that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20251EF2
20231Unrated
20191EF0
20182EF1
201520EF1
20141EF0
20125EF2
20112EF0
20104EF0
20099EF2
20082EF0
20073EF0
20064F1
20052F0
200413F2
20031F0
20022F0
20012F0
19981F0
19973F0
19961F0
19951F0
19941F0
19923F0
19918F1
19902F3
19881F1
19873F1
19851F1
19847F1
19832F2
19822F2
19801F1
19781F0
19771F0
19761F0
19732F1
19722F0
19671F0
19661F0
19651F1
19621F0
19602F1
19581F0
19511F0

Every tornado that crossed Elbert County

127 tornadoes, newest first.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 18, 20251:07 PM MDTEF2Arapahoe0.950
June 30, 202311:40 AM MDTUnratedElbert0.025
June 8, 20196:19 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.025
July 27, 20183:51 PM MDTEF1Elbert1.250
May 21, 20185:15 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.050
August 17, 20153:12 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.050
June 5, 20151:13 PM MDTEF1Elbert0.650
June 4, 20157:10 PM MDTEF0Elbert1.1200
June 4, 20156:41 PM MDTEF0Elbert1.1100
June 4, 20156:36 PM MDTEF0Elbert1.3100
June 4, 20156:34 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.8200
June 4, 20156:32 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.3100
June 4, 20156:26 PM MDTEF0Elbert1.6200
June 4, 20156:21 PM MDTEF0Elbert3.0300
June 4, 20156:17 PM MDTEF1Elbert2.0300
June 4, 20156:15 PM MDTEF0Elbert1.0100
June 4, 20156:05 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.6100
June 4, 20155:53 PM MDTEF1Elbert0.2100
June 4, 20155:38 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.050
June 4, 20155:30 PM MDTEF1Elbert2.0400$2,000
June 4, 20155:20 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.350
June 4, 20155:12 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.5100
June 4, 20154:38 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.125
May 9, 20154:40 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.150
May 9, 20154:30 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.150
June 8, 20141:43 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.150
June 7, 20126:45 PM MDTEF2Elbert7.5880$50,000
June 7, 20126:18 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.150
June 6, 20128:51 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.150
June 6, 20127:44 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.150
June 6, 20127:30 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.150
July 12, 20118:11 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.150
July 12, 20117:24 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.150
August 16, 20102:16 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.150
June 11, 20105:27 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.150
June 8, 20108:29 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.150
April 22, 20103:28 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.150
August 17, 20096:22 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.150
July 29, 20095:28 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.375$75,000
July 11, 20095:35 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.150
June 23, 20094:58 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.150
June 15, 20092:10 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.150
June 15, 20092:04 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.150$75,000
June 15, 20091:35 PM MDTEF2Elbert4.0440$100,000
June 7, 20092:43 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.1150
June 7, 20092:27 PM MDTEF1Elbert0.250$75,000
August 24, 20085:33 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.150
August 24, 20085:30 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.475$5,000
August 15, 20073:15 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.1440
May 29, 20074:00 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.150
May 29, 20073:27 PM MDTEF0Elbert0.1100
July 4, 20068:21 PM MDTF0Elbert0.150
June 22, 20063:20 PM MDTF0Elbert0.150
June 22, 20062:45 PM MDTF0Elbert0.150
June 22, 20061:32 PM MDTF1Elbert0.1100
June 2, 20054:48 PM MDTF0Elbert0.150
June 2, 20054:38 PM MDTF0Elbert0.150
August 9, 20046:55 PM MDTF0Elbert0.150
August 9, 20046:40 PM MDTF0Elbert0.2100
August 9, 20045:38 PM MDTF0Elbert0.150
August 9, 20045:34 PM MDTF0Elbert0.150
August 9, 20045:21 PM MDTF0Elbert0.150
June 15, 20042:54 PM MDTF1Elbert0.575
May 10, 20048:38 PM MDTF0Elbert3.0150
May 10, 20048:21 PM MDTF0Elbert4.0150
May 10, 20047:59 PM MDTF0Elbert12.0500
May 10, 20047:49 PM MDTF0Elbert0.150
May 10, 20047:04 PM MDTF2Elbert6.0150
May 10, 20046:44 PM MDTF0Elbert2.050
May 10, 20046:33 PM MDTF1Elbert9.0200
June 6, 20037:13 PM MDTF0Elbert0.150
September 12, 20024:55 PM MDTF0Elbert0.150
June 3, 20022:05 PM MDTF0Elbert0.150
July 1, 20016:35 PM MDTF0Elbert0.125
June 20, 20018:10 PM MDTF0Elbert0.1150
June 21, 19983:08 PM MDTF0Elbert0.130
July 28, 19977:55 PM MDTF0Elbert0.150
June 13, 19978:35 PM MDTF0Elbert0.150
June 13, 19976:30 PM MDTF0Elbert5.0100
July 23, 19965:24 PM MDTF0Elbert0.150
July 19, 19956:40 PM MDTF0Elbert0.110
October 5, 19946:03 PM MDTF0Elbert1.023
August 17, 19925:27 PM MDTF0Elbert0.110
June 21, 19925:53 PM MDTF0Elbert0.110
June 21, 19924:40 PM MDTF0Elbert0.110
June 21, 19916:05 PM MDTF0Elbert0.110
June 21, 19915:22 PM MDTF0Elbert0.110
June 21, 19915:20 PM MDTF0Elbert0.110
May 22, 19917:30 PM MDTF0Elbert0.210
May 22, 19917:21 PM MDTF0Elbert0.210
May 22, 19916:54 PM MDTF0Elbert0.210
May 2, 19913:45 PM MDTF1Elbert1.027
May 2, 19913:30 PM MDTF0Elbert0.210
July 9, 19906:30 PM MDTF0Elbert0.110
June 6, 19907:10 PM MDTF3Elbert7.0500$500 to $5,000
July 14, 19884:15 PM MDTF1Elbert0.530
July 7, 19875:17 PM MDTF1Elbert0.210
June 24, 19874:42 PM MDTF1Elbert0.850
June 18, 19878:57 PM MDTF1Elbert0.523
June 3, 19859:38 PM MDTF1Elbert2.050
August 1, 19842:53 PM MDTF1Elbert0.350
July 16, 19847:40 PM MDTF1Elbert1.050
June 13, 19848:11 PM MDTF1Elbert1.050
June 12, 19846:20 PM MDTF1Elbert1.050
June 12, 19845:25 PM MDTF1Elbert1.077
June 3, 19841:42 PM MDTF1Elbert1.050
June 3, 19841:10 PM MDTF1Elbert1.050
June 4, 19833:40 PM MDTF2Elbert8.0200$50,000 to $500,000
April 30, 19833:45 PM MDTF1Elbert1.050under $50
August 4, 19823:10 PM MDTF1Elbert1.050under $50
June 14, 19822:50 PM MDTF2Elbert2.0200under $50
June 19, 19804:15 PM MDTF1Elbert3.650$500 to $5,000
July 13, 19782:00 PM MDTF0Elbert0.350$50 to $500
June 2, 19771:55 PM MDTF0Elbert0.230
May 25, 19762:55 PM MDTF0Elbert0.120
September 8, 19732:30 PM MDTF1Elbert0.5100
September 8, 19732:30 PM MDTF1Elbert0.150
June 22, 19725:25 PM MDTF0Elbert13.110
June 22, 19725:10 PM MDTF0Elbert0.110
May 30, 19678:30 PM GMT-6F0Elbert0.110under $50
August 11, 19668:05 PM GMT-6F0Elbert0.110
June 23, 19656:30 PM GMT-6F1Elbert0.110$50 to $500
July 29, 196211:48 AM GMT-7F0Elbert0.110
May 17, 19604:00 PM GMT-7F1Elbert0.110under $50
May 17, 19603:00 PM GMT-7F1Elbert0.110$50 to $500
July 20, 195812:00 PM GMT-7F0Elbert0.110
May 17, 19515:35 PM GMT-7F0Douglas0.110under $50

Nearby

Warnings in force in Elbert CountyThe forecast for Elbert CountyThe live radar over Elbert CountyEvery county in Colorado

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.