Rage Along the Front Range

It was a dark and stormy night.

Starting about 10:15 p.m. on July 20, the first few pellets of hail began to hit my north-facing garage door. It didn't take long for the sound in the garage to echo through the house. Like waking somewhere unfamiliar, I was unsure what was going on and the noise became more deafening. The storm began to dump huge amounts of rain and hail, destroying trees, plants and anything left outside.

I remember being scared out of my wits, half-awake, half-asleep and my first thoughts were of confusion and fear. I got dressed, not sure what I was going to do, but my car was out in that and I wanted to get it in the garage. I opened the garage door and hail flew through the garage, hitting the far wall. I had to shovel hail away from the garage door, it had piled up to about 6 inches. I ran to get into my car and pretty much started it and gunned it. After closing the garage door, the roar continued.

I grabbed my video camera and was only able to get a few seconds of video before I had to close the door.

The street flooded on both sides, with a ribbon of hail in the center, the hail and rain coming down shredding the trees and pounding the carport across from me. Lightning cut through the hail and the thunder couldn't match the sound of the hail on the garage door. This went on for about 10 minutes.

News stations were on the air covering the storm, Misty Montoya from KCNC was Tweeting reports of damage and emergency calls, and there was an armageddon feel to the whole evening.

The most damage was done in the WheatRidge area, including where Kate and Jason live. Their house had moderate damage, with the greatest damage being their roof, garage windows, shredded leaves on everything, and a garden that was stripped bare. WheatRidge looked separate and apart from the rest of Denver that day, and the cleanup is still progressing.

It was one of the few times I've really been scared, but I'm grateful I live in an apartment building with at least some protection on one side of my home.

Reports say we had a tornado come through here, and I believe it. I don't know how people who live in the Midwest do it, living like that would make me a nervous wreck and I'd have to drink more than I already do.

Colorado weather is never dull, that's for sure.