Winds wreaking havoc in Pikes Peak region
A wind storm that produced gusts nearly 70 mph today has firefighters and utilities workers hopping from one downed powerline or tree to another this afternoon.
The near-hurricane force winds are the product of a cold front moving through the Pikes Peak Region, said James Hall, spokesman for the National Weather Service in Pueblo.
The strongest gust recorded in Colorado Springs so far today was 68 mph at 11:37 a.m. The highest sustained wind blew 54 mph for two minutes just before noon, Hall said.
The winds are like Chinook winds, common this time of year in the Pikes Peak Region, in that they gain speed when blowing through canyons to the west of the Front Range and hug the ground once out on the plains. However, today’s winds lack the heat seen in Chinook winds.
The high winds have snapped tree limbs, damaged airplane hangars and caused minor electical problems across the Front Range.
The only reported injuries from the storm came from Fort Carson, where eight soldiers were reportedly hurt in a training exercise in which they were attempting to set up tents. One soldier suffered a broken leg.
Several buildings at Peterson Air Force Base and a hangar were evacuated earlier this afternoon, according to Paul Kennedy, spokesman for the base. The buildings damaged from the winds sit adjacent to Hamilton Road, which is parallel to the base’s flightline.
Airplane hangars were among the facilites most damaged by the winds, Kennedy said.
By 1 p.m., firefighters had contained a series of small fires burning on Barr Trail near the Pikes Peak Cog Railway.Thirty firefighters from six different agencies battled several blazes on Barr Trail, which were sparked after power poles were knocked down by high winds in the area.
In all, eight fires burned one acre, according to the Colorado Springs Fire Department. When the poles fell down, the electricity sparked the Pikes Peak Cog Railway to start.
Afternoon runs of the train were cancelled due to the fire and power outages.
Firefighters are now putting out hot spots on the mountain, a task expected to last another few hours.
Other agencies also responding to the blaze included the Manitou Springs Fire Department, the Crystal Park Fire Department and El Paso County wildland fire crews.
A tree that blew over onto a powerline has about 80 homes in the area of Inca Drive in the Security-Widefield area without power this afternoon, according to Colorado Springs Utilities.
Earlier, another tree knocked out power for 220 customers in the area of Hancock Avenue and Rio Grande Street. Utilities crews had power back on in about an hour.
The wind also grounded the Thunderbirds’ practice today. The Air Force team of aerial performers are in town to flyover the Air Force Academy graduation on Wednesday. The Thunderbirds will now practice from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday over Falcon Stadium.
Winds are forecasted to subside to about 15 mph by 9 p.m., Hall said.
A member of a crew saws one of two old trees destroyed by winds on Main St. in Security on Monday, May 24, 2010. One tree was snapped off in the middle and the other was uprooted by the high winds. (The Gazette/Jerilee Bennett) Photo by JERILEE BENNETT, THE GAZETTE
After a transformer blew near the Cog Railway in Manitou Springs, a grass fire occurred. Consequently, power lines blew down up the side of the mountain sparking seven more small fires and causing the Cog Railway to shut down for the day. Firefighters fro Photo by JERILEE BENNETT, THE GAZETTE
Photo Courtesy Lauren McKee Photo by