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Windsor Focuses On Rebuilding 10 Years After Deadly Tornado

WINDSOR, Colo. (CBS4)- The Town of Windsor has rebuilt in the decade since the deadly EF-3 tornado caused a lot of damage, but on the 10th anniversary, the community is marking the event by honoring those who lived through the destruction.

The Windsor tornado initially touched down just northeast of Platteville and lifted about 6 miles northwest of Wellington. It produced extensive damage along it's path with EF-3 rated damage near the Missle Silo Park Campground and in east Windsor.

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Destruction from an EF3 tornado in Windsor in 2008. (credit: CBS)

The storm killed one person and injured 78 others.

PHOTO GALLERY: Windsor Tornado

Tractor trailers were flipped along Highway 85, 15 railroad cars were overturned and over 200 power poles were snapped or blown down, knocking out power to roughly 60,000 people.

Windsor Tornado
Hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed when a tornado cut a 39-mile path through Northern Colorado on May 22, 2008. (credit: CBS)

Hail the size of baseballs also accompanied the storm, along with a smaller, EF-1 tornado near the town of Dacono.

Windsor Tornado
Train cars were thrown over during a strong tornado that hit Northern Colorado on May 22, 2008.(credit: CBS)

Nearly 1,000 homes were damaged and roughly 300 homes were significantly damaged or destroyed. The Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association reported about $1 million of damage to transmission lines.

Windsor Tornado
(credit: CBS)

Private insurance claims totaled nearly $150 million, making it one of Colorado's top 10 natural disasters.

Now, the community wants to focus on the rebuilding efforts and healing in the wake of such a natural disaster.

Windsor Tornado
Ted Ullmann of Greeley took this photo at 11:51 a.m. Thursday a mile east of Windsor on Highway 392 about 1 mile north of the tornado as it was going west on Eastman Park Blvd. The photo is looking to the south. May 22, 2008

"On the side of my house, you could see right in to the house. No wall was there up to the chimney. It was pretty devastating. It was unbelievable how much help we had cleaning up, and getting things taken care of," said victim Cindy Gleason, who had more than $100,000 worth of damage.

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Windsor tornado damage on May 22, 2008 (credit: CBS)

Many people who live in Windsor, including tornado victims, say they didn't want to leave after the tornado because they fell in love with the small community and the people who helped them.

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