Fast-moving landspout southeast of Denver metro area damages 7 businesses' roofs, Franktown Fire Department says
The Franktown Fire Department said around 3 p.m. that the landspout formed near the intersection of Highways 83 and 86.
Both the fire department and the Douglas County Sheriff's Office characterized the landspout as "fast-moving," and the sheriff's office is asking people to avoid the area while crews work to assess the damage, help clean up, and keep people in the area safe.
The National Weather Service in Boulder issued an alert about the weather around 2:40 p.m., saying hail was also possible. That alert was extended to the towns of Bennett and Strasburg soon after.
A landspout is similar to a tornado, but forms from the ground up, instead of from the sky down to the ground.
Franktown is about 35 miles southeast of Denver.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
2 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Northern D.C. area hit by flash floods. Here's why it happened.
Several parts of the northern half of the D.C. area were overwhelmed by flash flooding late Saturday afternoon and evening because of intense, slow-moving thunderstorms. Silver Spring, Maryland, and Great Falls, Virginia, were the hardest hit after 5 to 5.5 inches fell in less than two hours. Flooding also extended into northern sections of D.C. and Prince George's County. The deluge caused waterways to overflow their banks, transformed roads into rivers and stranded vehicles in high water. The torrents were fueled by exceptional humidity levels that have hovered at near-record levels for weeks. As vast volumes of water poured into area streams, they rose with remarkable haste. A sensor along Sligo Creek, which winds through Silver Spring and Takoma Park, reported a 10-foot rise in water in just 30 minutes. The creek crested at its highest level in at least 20 years in Takoma Park. Area watersheds such as Sligo Creek were under significant stress from days of heavy rain over the past week. With soils saturated, the tipping point to the flash flood stage was rapidly reached. Because of the abrupt water rise and ongoing downpour, the National Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency — its most dire flood alert — for Silver Spring and its surroundings. Dozens of water rescues were carried out in southern Montgomery County; many around Silver Spring and spanning from Potomac to Takoma Park, according to Pete Piringer, chief spokesperson for the county's fire and rescue service. The flooding in Great Falls closed portions of Georgetown Pike and prompted rescues of multiple people stranded in high water on Old Dominion Road. Flooding was also reported in northern Prince George's County around Hyattsville and College Park. Peak rainfall rates reached at least 2 to 4 inches per hour. College Park registered a record hourly amount of 2.71 inches between 5 and 6 p.m. A large area from roughly Great Falls to Greenbelt, Maryland, received at least two inches of rain. Through much of the day, the region's main flash flood concern had been focused on central Virginia, where a flood watch was in effect. The sudden jump in flood threat 50 or so miles to the north, in the late afternoon, came as a surprise. A stalled front, which was located to the south of D.C. during the early morning, surged northward. By late afternoon, it had shifted into the Baltimore region. This placed Northern Virginia, the District and central Maryland on the unstable and humid side of the front, with winds from the south. The total available moisture content in the atmospheric column — as measured by the morning weather balloon in Sterling, Virginia — was around 2.2 inches, nearly a record for the day in July. The atmosphere became more and more primed through the afternoon, south of the front, for storms to wring out this excessive moisture. As the image below shows, at around 5 p.m., a narrow band of thunderstorms erupted along the southern border of the front, across northern Fairfax County, lower Montgomery County, northern D.C. and northern Prince George's County. The complex, as a whole, remained nearly stationary for a couple hours. But individual storm cells repeatedly developed on the western side and moved through the larger cloud complex, toward the east, generating a succession of cells passing over the same areas. This phenomenon is termed 'echo training.' Rain totals very rapidly added up across this narrow zone, as half a dozen flash flood warnings were rushed out. Saturday's downpours occurred amid an unusually humid and stormy stretch that began in June. It has been the second-most humid summer on record and flooding thunderstorms have occurred repeatedly. When the Weather Service issued a flood watch for the region late Saturday afternoon, it marked the 16th since May, which is the most on record during a three-month period. The D.C. area has seen more flood watches than any other major city this year. Because of human-caused climate change, which speeds up evaporation, the amount of available moisture in the air has increased in recent decades. A measure of atmospheric moisture, known as precipitable water, has steadily increased since the late the 1970s. The increased moisture raises the ceiling for the amount and intensity of rainfall. After another humid and potentially stormy day on Sunday, the region expects a reprieve early next week as cooler and drier air settles in, at least briefly. Dan Stillman, Ben Noll and Ian Livingston contributed to this report.
Fox News
32 minutes ago
- Fox News
Colorado utilizing grazing cattle to help prevent wildfires in at-risk areas
BOULDER, Colo. – As part of a growing effort to reduce the risk of wildfires in Colorado, cattle are being deployed to eat dry grass that often fuels fast-moving flames. City officials in Boulder County have partnered with local ranchers to bring herds into at-risk neighborhoods, including areas near Wonderland Lake Park, where 70 cattle grazed 35 acres of land. Paul Dennison, who is with Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, told Fox News that cattle grazing began in early June, which brought the grass height down from the three to four feet expected if left unmanaged. The Colorado region's mountainous terrain, dry climate, and frequent winds make it especially vulnerable to wildfire. Dennison explained that using cattle to keep vegetation low can slow potential fire spread and give firefighters more time to respond. "As the cattle trample as they graze, they break up some of that thatch, so we are looking at reduction of fuel height in the grasses, and we are also looking for some decomposition and degradation of the thatch that lies underneath the living grass," Dennison added. Local ranchers bring the herd in by trailer and rotate them through five-acre sections over two-week periods, Dennison said. U.S. Forest Service Deputy Chief John Crockett said most people think cattle are the primary grazer, but the agency uses cattle, sheep, goat and "basically anything that uses the grasses and fine fuels as a food source." Boulder Fire Rescue's public information officer, Jamie Barker, said grazing cattle are great for their fire department in both the warmer months and the fall. This year's heavy rainfall has created even more vegetation, which is good for now, but a future concern as it dries out, Barker explained. "I think a lot of people are really excited, because their green is getting greener and growing taller," said Barker. "But at the end of the day, that green that's getting greener and growing taller is also going to dry out; and that's going to pose a risk to some capacity for wildfires." The U.S. Department of Agriculture says similar grazing programs are becoming more common across the West, with states like Idaho and Nevada also using livestock to help manage wildfire risk. Boulder officials said the plan is to move the herd to another at-risk area later this fall.
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
CWG Live updates: Another steamy day with a storm risk, then nicer weather
Welcome to updated around-the-clock by Capital Weather Gang meteorologists. Happening now: An isolated morning shower is possible, then the chance of a few strong to severe thunderstorms in the afternoon. High humidity hangs around with afternoon highs in the in the upper 80s to low 90s. What's next? A much-needed break from the humidity and storms arrives tomorrow. We could go rain-free deep into the week, though heat and humidity rise again by Thursday and Friday. Today's daily digit — 5/10: A break from the relentless humidity and storms is on the way, but we'll have to wait one more day. | 🤚 Your call? The digit is a somewhat subjective rating of the day's weather, on a 0-to-10 scale. Forecast in detail Today (Sunday): Humid again with partly sunny skies, highs in the upper 80s to low 90s, and heat indexes reaching the upper 90s to low 100s. An isolated shower is possible in the morning, then an approaching cool front could spark a few hit-or-miss afternoon thunderstorms capable of damaging winds. They should be fast movers, but we can't rule out a brief flood risk. Confidence: Medium-High Tonight: Partly cloudy with an isolated shower or storm chance mainly before midnight. Overnight lows in the low 70s. Confidence: Medium Tomorrow (Monday): The start of the workweek brings a welcome change with plenty of sunshine and a noticeable dip in humidity, as dew points drop into the low 60s to near 60. Afternoon highs top out in the low to mid-80s and rain chances — finally — seem to be slim to none. Confidence: Medium-High Tomorrow night: Partly cloudy skies rule and you may want to open the windows, as overnight lows register in the 60s with low humidity — what a treat for late July! Confidence: Medium A look ahead We wake up to a refreshing feel on Tuesday with morning 60s and 70s, afternoon highs in the low to mid-80s, and low humidity (dew points in the 50s to low 60s). Be sure to schedule in the outdoor time! Tuesday night lows settle in the 60s. Confidence: Medium-High Wednesday appears to be still nice, but with a bit warmer: highs in the mid- to upper 80s. It's a touch more humid as well, but still not bad, and should be dry again. Wednesday night lows in the mid-60s to near 70. Confidence: Medium-High The heat ramps up higher Thursday and Friday. Thursday highs aim for the upper 80s to near 90, while Friday highs could rise well into the 90s. The humidity rises some as well, probably pushing Friday heat indexes to near or over 100. We may continue to keep rain chances away, although confidence is lower that far out. Confidence: Low-Medium Today's daily digit — 5/10: A break from the relentless humidity and storms is on the way, but we'll have to wait one more day. | 🤚 Your call? The digit is a somewhat subjective rating of the day's weather, on a 0-to-10 scale. Forecast in detail Today (Sunday): Humid again with partly sunny skies, highs in the upper 80s to low 90s, and heat indexes reaching the upper 90s to low 100s. An isolated shower is possible in the morning, then an approaching cool front could spark a few hit-or-miss afternoon thunderstorms capable of damaging winds. They should be fast movers, but we can't rule out a brief flood risk. Confidence: Medium-High Tonight: Partly cloudy with an isolated shower or storm chance mainly before midnight. Overnight lows in the low 70s. Confidence: Medium Tomorrow (Monday): The start of the workweek brings a welcome change with plenty of sunshine and a noticeable dip in humidity, as dew points drop into the low 60s to near 60. Afternoon highs top out in the low to mid-80s and rain chances — finally — seem to be slim to none. Confidence: Medium-High Tomorrow night: Partly cloudy skies rule and you may want to open the windows, as overnight lows register in the 60s with low humidity — what a treat for late July! Confidence: Medium A look ahead We wake up to a refreshing feel on Tuesday with morning 60s and 70s, afternoon highs in the low to mid-80s, and low humidity (dew points in the 50s to low 60s). Be sure to schedule in the outdoor time! Tuesday night lows settle in the 60s. Confidence: Medium-High Wednesday appears to be still nice, but with a bit warmer: highs in the mid- to upper 80s. It's a touch more humid as well, but still not bad, and should be dry again. Wednesday night lows in the mid-60s to near 70. Confidence: Medium-High The heat ramps up higher Thursday and Friday. Thursday highs aim for the upper 80s to near 90, while Friday highs could rise well into the 90s. The humidity rises some as well, probably pushing Friday heat indexes to near or over 100. We may continue to keep rain chances away, although confidence is lower that far out. Confidence: Low-Medium Serious flash flooding occurred in the northern half of the D.C. area Saturday with many roads closed and high water rescues because of vehicles stranded in high water. Here are some scenes of the flooding:
