Viral

There Was A Tornado At The Denver Airport And The Photos Are Intense

People preparing to fly out of the Denver International Airport earlier today received a considerable scare after a tornado touched down over the east runways. Just how close was the tornado to the airport, as travelers were reportedly ducking into bathrooms and stairwells for safety? Way too close for comfort.

The tornado reportedly destroyed the National Weather Service’s weather station, which reported a 97 MPH winds before it stopped relaying data, according to Weatherbug meteorologist Jacob Wycoff.

The tornado was so close to the Terminal Doppler Weather Radar — the small Doppler radar used for Denver International Airport — that a “donut hole” was visible in the precipitation-free center of the tornado as it crossed between runways 34R and 34L. The tornado passed exactly 5,000 feet east of the A Gates. (Via the Daily Kos, H/T to the Washington Post)

Today’s scare came on the heels of yesterday’s tornado in La Junta, Colorado, which featured heavy rains and some property damage, but no injuries. Even as one gas station’s canopy was destroyed, it was reported that residents quickly responded with chainsaws and manpower to help the owner resume business, while other people provided free food.

But the folks at DIA were quick to bust out the cell phone cameras and capture some images and Vines of the tornado that, at times, looked like an alien tractor beam.

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(Banner via Jen Milazzo and 9 News Denver)

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