Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued September 20 at 6:43PM MDT until September 20 at 7:15PM MDT by NWS Pueblo CO
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning is active for the Kiowa, CO area right now, issued by NWS Pueblo CO — the roof-to-interior damage sequence restoration teams know well. This is a live snapshot as of Sunday, September 20, 5:48 PM PDT. Conditions change fast — always verify with the National Weather Service for your specific county or ZIP code.
Kiowa, CO — Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Issuing office: NWS Pueblo CO
Issued: September 20 at 6:43 PM MDT
Expires: 7:15 PM MDT
Severity: Severe
Hazard detail, per the National Weather Service:
Bristol, or 15 miles northeast of Lamar, moving south at 20 mph.
HAZARD…Golf ball size hail and 70 mph wind gusts.
SOURCE…Radar indicated.
IMPACT…People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect hail
damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. Expect
considerable tree damage. Wind damage is also likely to
NWS instruction: A tornado watch remains in effect for the warned area. Tornadoes can
Track this warning at weather.gov and your local NWS office page.
Stay safe tonight
Get inside a sturdy building and stay away from windows. Large hail can shatter glass and injure anyone caught outside — if you’re driving, pull over safely and stay in the vehicle, angled so the hail hits the reinforced windshield side. Park under cover if you can.
After the storm: watch for downed power lines, avoid damaged roofs (they may be structurally compromised), and photograph all hail and wind damage before any cleanup — documentation matters for insurance. Then call a local restoration contractor: hail-damaged roofs let water in with the next rain.
What this means for restoration teams
Destructive hail over Kiowa, CO is a two-trade event: roofs, siding, and windows take the direct hits, and every compromised roof becomes a water-intrusion job with the next rain. Restoration contractors should expect the classic hail sequence — emergency tarping calls tonight, water-intrusion and interior damage calls for days after.
The play: stage tarping crews and drying equipment together, pre-position air movers and dehumidifiers for the water-intrusion wave, keep an on-call rotation through the morning, and capture address, hail size reported, and affected areas on the first call. Field discipline: photo-document before mitigation, moisture-map every affected room, and keep the homeowner’s payment responsibility clear in writing before work starts.
FEMA & federal assistance
If the storm damages your home, the FEMA Helpline is 1-800-621-3362 (7 a.m.–10 p.m. local time, 7 days a week). You can also apply at DisasterAssistance.gov, through the FEMA app, or find a recovery center at fema.gov/drc.
Basic eligibility: U.S. citizenship or qualified status, identity verification, proof of occupancy or ownership, and unmet needs not covered by insurance. Apply as soon as it’s safe to do so.
Looking ahead
When this warning expires at 7:15 PM MDT, the risk doesn’t necessarily end: additional rounds of storms can follow the same corridor, and creeks and low-lying drainage can crest after the rain stops. Watch the next NWS update for your county before standing down.
Demand window note: water-intrusion calls typically start within hours of water receding and keep coming for days as people discover damage — the calls that matter most arrive after the sky clears.
Sources & how to verify
- NWS alert for this warning (api.weather.gov)
- weather.gov — enter your county or ZIP for the current warning status
To verify for your own county or ZIP: go to weather.gov, enter your location, and check the active alerts banner — or find your local NWS office page from the weather.gov office map.
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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