Officials take stock of tornado damage

It could be a day or more before the area is secure and residents are able to return.

WINDSOR, Colo. (AP) — Stormy weather, natural gas leaks and the threat of explosions kept hundreds of anxious residents from assessing the damage to their homes on Friday, a day after a large tornado tore through a 35-mile stretch of northern Colorado, killing one person and injuring dozens.

The twister damaged or destroyed homes, businesses, dairies and farms in several Weld County towns Thursday. The storm system pelted the region with golf ball-size hail, swept vehicles off roads and tipped 15 rail cars off the tracks in Windsor, a farm town about 70 miles north of Denver.

Police and more than 100 National Guard troops cordoned off a particularly hard-hit area of about one square mile on Friday so utility crews could check each home for gas leaks, repair gas mains severed by uprooted trees, remove downed power lines and clear streets of shattered glass and debris.

It might take a day or more to secure the area, said Bill Easterling, commander of the emergency response team.

“I think at this point it’s pretty much hit me,” said a dejected Cindy Miller, a 46-year-old high school teacher. “I’m not going home for a while.”

Before being ordered out Thursday, Miller found a wall to her house torn apart and insulation, glass, water and debris everywhere. Wooden planks had penetrated a bathroom wall, and her trampoline was in a neighbor’s yard.

Authorities said about 100 homes were destroyed and another 100 were damaged by the tornado, which began near Platteville, about 20 miles south of Windsor.

A 52-year-old man was killed at a campground near Greeley, said Weld County Deputy Coroner Chris Robillard.

Thirteen people were treated at hospitals, and more than 100 others received medical attention for minor injuries, said Jim Shires, a spokesman for emergency responders. Crews searched the cordoned-off area of Windsor and found no additional victims.

Gov. Bill Ritter toured the damage and declared a state of emergency for the area. “I think it’s just miraculous that there has not been more loss of life,” U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave said after touring damaged neighborhoods Friday. She and Colorado Sen. Wayne Allard asked President Bush to declare the area a disaster to free up aid.

Service showed the tornado that hit Greeley was likely an E-F3, with speeds from 136 mph to 165 mph.