WELD COUNTY, Colo. — Several structures were damaged in Monday afternoon's tornado in Weld County, but people who experienced the tornado are thankful no one was hurt.
Family mementos are now scattered throughout the lawn of Gerald Rusch's home off of County Road 21 west of Platteville.
"Things are torn apart everywhere," said Gerald Rusch. "I got a fuel tank [in my yard], and I don't know where it came from.'"
On Monday evening, a tornado touched down north of Firestone and traveled to an area three miles northwest of Platteville in Weld County.
No one was injured.
A spokesperson for Weld County Government said power lines and three homes were damaged. As of Monday evening, the Weld County Office of Emergency Management said potentially six structures were damaged or destroyed.
Gerald Rusch and his mother, Rosalie Rusch, were inside their home when the tornado touched down. Their family barn also flipped to its side where four kittens had been staying inside. All were later found and appeared uninjured.
"A big boom, really a loud loud boom. Oh, it scared the heck out of me," Rosalie Rusch said. "Like as if trains collided, you know. I thought, 'Oh brother, what is that?'"
Others across Weld County wondered the same thing.
"We knew that something was happening because we felt all the wind come in, so we ran outside to take care of the pool and make sure nothing was going to fly away," said Kelsey Daughtery, who recorded video of the tornado. "We looked over that way [across the property] and that's when we saw it."
Gerald Rusch said he's most grateful his mother and he survived.
"Real happy, real happy," Rusch said through tears.
