Heavy Winds Demolish Out Buildings In Westcliffe

Heavy winds hit hard in Southern Colorado this weekend. The town of Westcliffe saw some of the worst damage.

The wind leveled a storage shed at Saint Andrews Golf Course, north of town. Heavy gusts snapped tree branches like twigs.

“I’ve seen wind before in the valley, but this was about as bad as we’d ever had that I’d seen,” said Custer County Sheriff Fred Jobe. “We had reports anywhere from 115 to 125 mile per hour gusts.”

At the south end of the Wet Mountain Valley, an Amish family almost lost their horses. Their barn, made of bricks and cinder block, was blown to bits. The couple and their seven kids said they fled the area Saturday night, fearing the worst. The told us they were counting their blessings Sunday after their home avoided any damage and their nine horses got out okay.

Sheriff Jobe said about 75 power poles came down in the storm, and some homes around the county remained without electricity.

“I got a couple of people at my house tonight,” he said. “Westcliffe is good about helping people.”

Jobe said Sangre de Christo Electric had the worst damage to their lines, and the company told him some could be without power for five to six days.