Extreme Wind Sends Tree Into Evergreen Synagogue
EVERGREEN, Colo. (CBS4) - Calm skies allowed people to begin picking up the pieces from an extreme wind event Saturday in Jefferson County. Wind speeds around 85 mph brought down trees, knocked out power to hundreds of homes and took down a massive old tree through a synagogue's roof.
"It was insane. The snow was coming sideways," Jeremy Shull, an independent roofing specialist, told CBS4 on Sunday.
As a roofer, Shull knew this wind storm would equate to a busy Sunday for his crews.
"We generally like those four-day weekends, but that's not really happening because of this," he said.
Workers spent Sunday afternoon making temporary patches to the roof at Congregation Beth in Evergreen.
"The top of the tree, about 45 foot section broke off of the tree, and landed at like a 75° angle on the roof. All the limbs, about 12 limbs, poked through the roof," Shull said.
Incredibly, there wasn't anyone inside this gathering room at the synagogue when the tree came crashing down.
"They have a couple of different groups that use this place even, and nobody was here when it happened so that's was very fortunate."
The winds brought down trees and made travel almost impossible. Sunday's calm weather allowed for cleanup work to begin, as people braced for a long winter ahead.
"Very good for roofing, not very opportune time with all the snow we've had."
