People living in Douglas County shocked by strong wind gusts blowing through Colorado
In a rare wind event for the Palmer Divide Monday, winds approached 80 mph across parts of Colorado, including in Douglas County, and 60 mph in Castle Rock. Some lifelong residents say they've never seen wind like this.
"A little bit of wind is something but I feel like this is incredible," said Desiree Hutton, who was born and raised in Castle Rock.
"This takes the cake for several days in a row and it's a cold wind," said downtown Castle Rock resident Hannah Rouse.
Neighbors in Douglas County were shocked by the cold, strong, and loud winds.
"Last night in the middle of the night it woke me up and I was like 'What in the world?'" said Hutton.
"It was waking me and the dog up all night. So it was hitting the house, the trees were hitting the house, it was loud," said Rouse.
In parts of the county, trees had blown down and blocked the road.
"I feel like this is unprecedented winds. I always think of the truckers on the highway in the wind like this," said Hutton.
The wind deposited neighbors' belongings in other people's yards.
"We found an outdoor flower pot that doesn't belong to us and lots of trash. I don't know where that came from," said Hutton.
Online, hundreds sharing stories of fallen branches, and even trampolines blowing away.
"A lot of people, their grills have fallen over," said Hutton.
Pets were also impacted by the strong gusts.
"She stopped at the bottom of a driveway and actually lost her footing," said Rouse.
Some brought outdoor animals inside.
"It's a little bit of an open area so the wind, I thought, 'oh my goodness, I hope the bunny is okay,'" said Hutton.
While others ventured out into the wind.
"Colorado! We gotta deal with the elements and get out there so she's, you know, had to get her exercise and I did too," said Rouse.
If you do encounter fallen trees or limbs that are a traffic hazard, or against a power line, report that to law enforcement.
