BURLINGTON, Colo. — An intense microburst formed near the Burlington- Kit Carson County airport after 8 p.m. on Wednesday. The strong winds associated with the microburst then spread to the north, impacting the eastern portions of the community of Burlington near the border with Kansas.
Widespread damage was reported, including downed trees, toppled cement walls, trailers overturned and thrown yards away, and metal siding stripped of homes.
Four power poles were snapped and an out building was destroyed near the airport.
A damage survey was conducted by the National Weather Service (NWS) Goodland on Thursday morning. Their meteorologist confirmed a peak wind gust of 115 mph, with a 600-yard damage swath that stretched for 4.2 miles.
The microburst lasted about eight minutes.
A microburst is a collapsing column of air that falls out of a thunderstorm causing intense straight-line winds. The winds usually accelerate after hitting the ground as they spread out.
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