ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. – Chaos is the word Lanny Bolton used to describe surviving one of two tornadoes that slammed the Bennett area on Sunday. His house was okay, but other parts of his property took a direct hit.
“The fifth wheel is tipped over, the horse trailer gone. Sides of the barn opened up – we got pretty lucky,” he said.
Just down the road, fate took a different turn for Victoria Katchen, whose house looked like a war zone. On Sunday night, she walked Scripps News Group reporter Danielle Kreutter through the aftermath.
It looked like a bomb had gone off inside her home of 14 years.
'Everything's gone'
Sunday mid-afternoon, she saw the swirling clouds approaching and the ominous dirt cloud roaring low to the ground.
“We just sat here on the porch and watched it. Then it kept getting closer, and we still thought it was going to stay west of us,” said Katchen.
Seconds later, the reality of what was unfolding slammed into her house.
“We realized it was going to hit us. We ran and got cover, so at that point, what do you do? Hide and hope for the best,” she added.
After the tornado struck, Katchen walked out into a surreal scene.
“We knew everything was gone, everything. Everything we’ve worked for is gone,” said Katchen.
Along with damage to the house, Katchen’s chicken coop, barn and garage were destroyed.
“Everything he loved was in there. We’re still missing vehicles – his race cars are gone. Everything’s gone,” said Katchen.
Four tornadoes struck Colorado’s northeastern plains, including two near Bennett in Adams County. The National Weather Service (NWS) in Boulder told Denver7 that another tornado touched down in Manila Village, and the fourth was reported about 2.5 miles southeast of the Aurora Reservoir.
There were no reports of injuries during Sunday’s tornado outbreak in Colorado.
Initial reports indicate 17 structures, including six homes, were damaged or lost in Adams County, and 19 homes were damaged in Elbert County.
Storm surveyors with the NWS were expected to arrive early Monday morning to assess the damage track and rating of the tornadoes. The EF ratings will likely be released Monday afternoon.
- The Scripps News Group is committed to helping our Colorado neighbors on the long road to recovery. If you’d like to donate and help, click here to support the Denver7 Gives campaign. Your contributions are tax-deductible, and every dollar goes to the victims.
For Katchen’s family, the cleanup is just beginning, as is the realization of losing so much of their “dream” property.
“This is a close-knit community. This lady behind us, and her husband, was first on the scene to help see what we needed,” Katchen told Denver7. “We've got to start over, and at our age, I don’t know how much we can start over? I mean, we’re both almost 70.”
In Elbert County, brothers Bryce and Blaine Greenleaf saw the ominous clouds right above their house and started recording video.
“You can tell when the clouds are, you know, upset and looking to do something,’ said Blaine. “I just didn’t expect it to be straight above us, and I didn’t really believe it at first, but it became reality quick,”
It only took a minute for tornado debris to start picking up in the family’s backyard, prompting them to rush to their basement.
“We looked out these little side windows here and we just saw kind of past our neighbor's house, just this big red cloud of debris and dust – and a whole bunch of stuff,” Blaine told Denver7.
After the initial shock, Bryce and Blaine’s dad, Ron Greenleaf, rushed outside into their Elkhorn Ranch neighborhood to see how his property fared. The family’s home was not damaged, but Ron biked around to check on his neighbors.
Weather News
No deaths reported after tornadoes sweep through CO's eastern plains Sunday
Elbert County officials said the damage ranged from very little to severe.
“Untouched or very barely touched. And then others, as you can see as you drove through, a total mess. It’s very sad,” said Ron Greenleaf.
Just like the scene the Katchen family was dealing with near Bennett, Greenleaf said the immediate thought was helping others in the community who were less fortunate.
“I think this is where the neighborhood comes together. That’s why we love this neighborhood,” he said.
As residents of both Adams and Elbert Counties start to clean up and figure out their next steps, the Greeleaf family was left to reflect on a day they thought would be about celebrating family instead of dodging a natural disaster.
It just so happened that Sunday was Blaine’s 27th birthday.
“We’re going to go out in the yard, play some basketball – and it’s just – out of nowhere, so I never expected it,” said Ron. “Never going to forget it.”
'It feels really good. Thank you'
Back over to what was left of the Katchen's condemed home, Denver7 reporter Danielle Kreutter - who has stayed in touch with the family since Sunday, delivered a bit relief in the form of a check — thanks to our generous and big-hearted Denver7 Gives viewers.
"This was my chicken coop. I had eight chickens, we found six," Katchen said told Kreutter.
Since the family can't yet go inside their home to collect their possessions, they're starting to recover where they can — and that includes finding a place to call home for those six chickens.
"This is something we can actually clean up because we're not supposed to do much until the insurance people come out. If the chickens keep running around without a place to live, they're going to get ate by a coyote," Katchen said. "Channel 7's viewers are generously going to help me buy a new chicken coop for my chickens."
Denver7 | Gives
Help support victims of Sunday's tornadoes in Colorado through Denver7 Gives
The local Tractor Supply Co. offered Katchen a discount and with Denver7 Gives funds, Katchen received a brand new chicken coop.
"It feels really good. Thank you. The chickens thank you, too," Katchen old Kreutter.
If you are a victim of the tornadoes or know someone who might need some relief funds for their immediate needs, please email Denver7 at newstips@denver7.com.
Denver7 viewers captured the tornadoes from several perspectives. You can watch their videos on the player below.
Four tornadoes slam Colorado: Caught on video
