Brief storm in Pueblo leaves hundreds without power

An afternoon storm toppled trees and dumped heavy rain through Pueblo County, leaving about 1,800 Black Hills Energy customers without power for much of the day.

“It was more severe wind than I’ve seen in a long, long time,” said Pueblo County resident Terry Renzelman, who lost power Sunday afternoon.

Pueblo County was under a tornado watch on Sunday. Renzelman said he was tracking the weather, prepared to go into his makeshift tornado shelter if necessary. “We got a big staircase that’s really reinforced that’s got a door to go into it. That’d be the safest spot in our house,” he said.

The National Weather Service in Pueblo recorded wind gusts exceeding 60 mph on Sunday. The wind toppled a tree on Tyler Street, scattering tree branches around a home, barely missing the house.

“The wind came out of nowhere and blew it down,” said Michael Valdez, who saw the tree fall.

Witnesses said no one one was home at the time.