HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. — A tornado caused significant damage in Highlands Ranch as severe weather hit the Denver area Thursday afternoon.
The tornado was reported around 3:30 p.m. by a trained spotter in the area of C-470 and Highway 85.
The National Weather Service shared a map showing the preliminary damage track. They said preliminary reports indicate the length was about 6.3 miles.
Calls included reports of fire alarms going off, gas leaks and trees on top of houses. SMFR said firefighters said they didn't find anything they would describe as significant structural damage.
In some areas, road signs were bent over and large trees were uprooted from the ground.
The roof of South Metro Fire Station 17, on University Boulevard, was damaged by wind. South Metro Fire Recue said all of their crews were out on calls when the damage happened, and the damage shouldn't affect the station's operations.
The Eastridge Rec Center on University Boulevard was damaged by the storms, and all four community rec centers are closed indefinitely in the aftermath.
The tornado was part of a series of severe storms that hit the Denver area Thursday afternoon, the second day of severe weather in a row for the metro.
PHOTOS: Tornado causes significant damage in Highlands Ranch
“I can tell you that the conditions underneath where the radar indicated rotation was tornadic," 9NEWS meteorologist Cory Reppenhagen, who was in the area of the storm, said. "We had extremely fast winds and trees -- large trees -- being pulled out of the ground right in front of us.”
A tornado warning had been issued before the storm.
South Metro Fire Rescue said some people were injured by hail that fell at Chatfield State Park, but no injuries were reported from the tornado.
South Metro Fire Rescue and the Douglas County Sheriff's Office said their two agencies received somewhere between 116 and 282 calls for help between 3 and 5 p.m., mostly in Highlands Ranch.
> Watch update from South Metro Fire Rescue and the Douglas County Sheriff's Office
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