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A? tornado damaged homes Thursday in the Denver suburb of Highlands Ranch.
H?ere's what happened in Highlands Ranch:
-The tornado was on the ground for about 6 miles, according to the National Weather Service.
-The NWS gave the tornado a preliminary rating of EF1 based on damage, which means wind speeds may have been as high as 110 mph.
-?An elementary school and a fire station were also damaged.
-V?ideo posted to social media by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office showed debris flying through the air as the tornado was reported in Highlands Ranch.
-The Sheriff warned anyone in the path of the storm to take shelter. Douglas County also includes the communities of Lone Tree, Parker, Castle Pines and Castle Rock.
W?eather.com digital meteorologist Jonathan Belles adds:
-"A line of severe thunderstorms pushed eastward off the Rockies Thursday afternoon. One of the thunderstorms produced a tornado near the city of Highlands Ranch, which is 10 to 15 miles south of downtown Denver."
-"Tornadoes are most common in Colorado in June and early July as the jet stream retreats northward as summertime heat builds from the Southern Plains northward."
-"Large hail and flooding are also increasingly common as summer kicks off."
Other severe weather in the Denver area:
-Storms also brought flooding to some areas, including Lone Tree and to the south in El Paso County, where Colorado Springs is located.
-T?here were also several reports of hail in the area, some up to the size of tennis balls.
-This came a day after a storm that dropped hail on Colorado's Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre injured dozens of concertgoers.
MORE ON WEATHER.COM:
-?Watch: First Look At Highlands Ranch Damage
-?Watch: What To Know About Severe Weather During Outdoor Events
-Read: The Enhanced Fujita Scale: How Tornadoes are Rated
-Read: Tornado Watch Vs. Warning: What's The Difference?
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