Near Hurricane Force Winds Cause Destruction Along The Front Range
DENVER (CBS4)- Strong winds whipped through the Front Range on Tuesday and Wednesday after a high wind warning blew into Colorado.
Strong winds caused some delays at Denver International Airport on Wednesday. The breezy conditions will continue through the day with gusts up to 40 mph.
The winds are delaying arrivals an average of 90 minutes. All runways are available for use but DIA officials are using east and west runways for arrivals because of the strong wind gusts.
Officials said 30 arrivals and departures from regional smaller aircraft were cancelled Wednesday. There may be additional delays through the evening because of strong wind gusts.
The High Wind Warning remains in place through 5 a.m. Thursday from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs and into the Foothills and Central mountains.
A semi rollover on the ramp from westbound C-470 to southbound Highway 285 closed the ramp from 8:45 a.m. to 10:10 a.m. Wednesday.
The winds caused some damage and forced Highway 93 to close Tuesday night because of the potential danger.
"It feels like hurricane force winds are just blowing snow right off there," said Jefferson County Sheriff spokesman Kevin Bost. "We're seeing semis moved. School buses being moved."
White out conditions and dangerous wind gusts caused several collisions at Lewis Ridge and Evergreen Parkway.
"A major intersection that just happens to be where all that wind is focusing its energy and causing a lot of accidents right now," said Bost. "If you don't have to be out here don't come out here. It's much safer to be home than to be in these conditions."
Rescue teams directed traffic around an accident after one woman's car was struck by a wind blown vehicle.
"The car in front of me veered but he was already in my lane and all I could do was hit him," said accident victim Dana Stehno.
Another driver, Abigayle Ottley, was heading east on Interstate 70, dodging wind and accidents while trying to get back home to Salt Lake City.
"Four or five semi accidents... jackknifed... rollover. It's been crazy," said Ottley. "I was getting blown all over. I was so scared."
And the accidents caused by wind continued at C-470 and I-70 where powerful gusts of wind knocked over another semi-truck.
