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F0 tornado in Kiowa County, Colorado

Tornado October 11, 1997 · Kiowa County, Colorado

F0
Rating
20.0 mi
Path length
200 yd
Path width
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 200 yards (0.11 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What F0 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F0 meant light damage: shingles and siding peeled, gutters torn, branches broken; the scale paired it with winds of 40–72 mph, figures later judged too high, especially toward the top of the scale, and revised downward in the Enhanced Fujita scale. Ratings then, as now, came from the damage.

The wider storm

The same supercell thunderstorm that brought large hail and a brief tornado to eastern Otero county produced a long track tornado through northwestern Bent and central Kiowa counties. The tornado began about 7 miles west of Las Animas. Eleven people were in the direct path of the tornado as it hit a ranch house and adjacent outbuildings. Five men were caught outside, trying to move their vehicles from harm's way. Four were thrown about by the tornado and received minor injuries. Six women in the ranch house were unhurt. The tornado moved northeast and blew a vehicle off Highway 194. The occupant received minor injuries. It destroyed a stream level monitor on the other side of the highway, then ripped through a line of trees before moving into barren country. Eyewitnesses said the tornado remained intact for most of the 35 mile track northeast to just south of Highway 96 in Kiowa county. Owing to the nearly uninhabited, barren landscape, little if any damage occurred beyond Highway 194 in Bent county.

Began near Eads (38.2000, -103.1300).

Other tornadoes from the same storm system

1 more tornado the National Weather Service filed under this storm episode.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5621841. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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