STATUS: ACTIVE — SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
Live snapshot as of 10:47 PM MDT (9:47 PM PDT), Sunday, September 20, 2026. This warning is in effect until 11:30 PM MDT Sunday. Conditions change fast — always verify with the National Weather Service for your specific county or ZIP code.
The National Weather Service in Denver, Colorado has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Central Elbert County in east central Colorado — in effect until 11:30 PM MDT Sunday. At 10:44 PM MDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 12 miles southeast of Kiowa, or 33 miles west of Limon, moving southeast at 20 mph. The storm is carrying golf ball size hail and 60 mph wind gusts, and the National Weather Service rates the thunderstorm damage threat as considerable. Trained spotters reported 1.5-inch hail with this storm at 10:40 PM.
Golf ball size hail and 60 mph gusts are exactly the roof, siding, and window damage mix that restoration crews and roofers work most — hail punctures shingles and siding while wind tears at what the hail has already loosened.
Central Elbert County, Colorado — Severe Thunderstorm Warning
- Issuing office: NWS Denver, Colorado
- Issued: 10:44 PM MDT, Sunday, September 20, 2026
- Expires: 11:30 PM MDT, Sunday, September 20, 2026
- Storm position at 10:44 PM MDT: 12 miles southeast of Kiowa, or 33 miles west of Limon, moving southeast at 20 mph
- Hazard (verbatim): Golf ball size hail and 60 mph wind gusts
- Source: Trained spotters reported 1.5 inch hail with this storm at 10:40 PM (hail threat: observed; NWS parameters list maximum hail size of 1.75 inches and maximum wind gust of 60 mph, radar indicated)
- Damage threat: Considerable (per NWS thunderstorm damage threat parameter)
- Impact (verbatim): People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect hail damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees.
- Locations impacted include: Simla, Matheson, and Fondis
Official instruction: Anyone outdoors should move to shelter inside a well-built structure and stay away from windows. This storm has produced dangerous hail and is capable of producing damaging winds.
Sources: the NWS alert record for this warning and the NWS Denver/Boulder office page.
Stay safe tonight
If you are in Central Elbert County right now, get inside a well-built structure and stay away from windows. Do not stand under trees or near unsecured outdoor objects. If you are driving, pull fully off the road and park somewhere away from trees and power lines — hail this size dents and cracks vehicles and can shatter windshields.
After the storm passes, treat downed power lines as live and report them. Stay off damaged roofs tonight — wet, hail-slicked shingles are a fall hazard in the dark, and emergency tarping should wait for daylight unless water is actively entering the home. If water is entering, shut off power to the affected area if it is safe to do so, stay out of standing water where electricity may be present, and photograph everything before any cleanup begins — that documentation is what insurance adjusters work from. Then call a local restoration contractor: water left sitting in a home starts a second wave of damage within a day.
What this means for restoration teams
A considerable-threat hailstorm over Simla, Matheson, and Fondis is a roof-and-exterior event first, with interior water intrusion close behind. Golf ball size hail punctures asphalt shingles, cracks siding, and breaks windows — and wind at 60 mph finds every edge the hail has loosened. Where hail breaches the roof envelope, water intrusion into attics and wall cavities follows with the next rain band, and mold risk ramps up within 24 to 48 hours in saturated drywall and insulation.
The play for tonight: stage equipment now and keep an on-call rotation through the morning. On the first call, capture the address, the damage type (roof, siding, windows, interior water), and photos before mitigation starts. Moisture-map every affected room — attic first, then ceilings and upper walls — because hail-driven leaks travel before they show. Keep the homeowner’s payment responsibility clear in writing before work starts; hail claims live and die on documentation.
Field discipline stays the same as every storm night: photo-document before mitigation, hold the line on scope, and do not promise a claim outcome — let the adjuster’s inspection and the documentation do that work.
Local emergency contacts
- Elbert County Office of Emergency Management — Director Jacob Love, (303) 805-6132; office 303-805-6100; 751 Ute Avenue, Kiowa, CO 80117 (verified via the Elbert County staff directory). For immediate emergencies, call 911.
FEMA & federal assistance
If the storm causes damage beyond what insurance covers, the FEMA Helpline is 1-800-621-3362 (7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time, 7 days a week). You can also apply at DisasterAssistance.gov, through the FEMA mobile app, or find a recovery center at fema.gov/drc. Basic eligibility generally requires citizenship or qualified non-citizen status, identity verification, proof of occupancy or ownership of the damaged home, and unmet needs not covered by insurance. Apply as soon as it is safe to do so — you do not have to wait for a disaster declaration to start the application, but individual assistance depends on one being issued for your county.
Looking ahead
This warning expires at 11:30 PM MDT Sunday. The storm is moving southeast at 20 mph, which puts it out of Central Elbert County and toward the Limon area shortly after the warning ends. Watch overnight for additional rounds — trained spotters are active across the region, and new warnings can be issued as cells redevelop. Power outages and extensive tree damage are the follow-on hazards to check for at daybreak, and hail damage to roofs is most often discovered in daylight, when homeowners and property managers walk their buildings. Water-intrusion calls typically start within hours of water receding and keep coming for days as people discover damage.
Sources & how to verify
- NWS alert record — Severe Thunderstorm Warning, Central Elbert County, CO (KBOU)
- NWS Denver/Boulder office page (weather.gov/bou)
- Elbert County emergency contacts verified via the Elbert County Office of Emergency Management staff directory
To verify for your own county or ZIP: go to weather.gov and enter your location, or open your local NWS office page — for this warning area, that is the Denver/Boulder office.
This post is for informational purposes and is not an official weather warning. Always follow instructions from local authorities and the National Weather Service.
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