Children were inside Northridge Elementary when tornado hit
HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. (KDVR) — The Douglas County School District is assessing damages at Northridge Elementary School in Highlands Ranch after Thursday’s tornado.
Aerial video showed portions of the roof torn off and a tree toppled over onto the west side of the building.
A district spokesperson said an unknown number of students were inside the building at the time for a childcare program used by the school over the summer.
“Students and staff who were in the building during that time followed shelter-in-place safety protocols and no injuries were reported,” the spokesperson said.
Northridge Elementary School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, suffers damage following a tornado on June 22, 2023. (KDVR)
Late Thursday night, crews placed yellow caution tape around the school’s exterior. Neighbors say they’re thankful nobody was injured.
“We’ve never had anything like this here,” Janet Walters said. “I never thought something like this would happen to me. Ever.”
Preliminary estimates put the tornado’s track around 6.3 miles long with an EF-1 rating, according to the National Weather Service. Meteorologists were reviewing photos of the twister and may survey the damage on Friday if necessary.
The most damage was observed along Highlands Ranch Parkway from Lucent Boulevard to Colorado Boulevard.
Source: FOX 31 Denver
