Editing Windsor, Colorado (section)

===2008 tornado===
{{main|Late-May 2008 tornado outbreak sequence}}

On May 22, 2008, at approximately 11:50 AM, a tornado devastated the town and many areas of Weld County and Larimer County, tragically taking the life of a Vietnam War veteran in his RV, and seriously injuring 78 other people in its wake.  The National Weather Service tornado damage assessments conducted on Friday, May 23, and Saturday, May 24, documented large areas of damage.  On the [[Enhanced Fujita scale]], there were pockets of high-end EF3 damage west of Greeley near the Missile Silo Park Campground, and to numerous homes and businesses in eastern Windsor.  Wind estimates in the heavily damaged areas were up to 165&nbsp;mph.<ref name="www.weather.gov/bou/TornadoMay22nd2008">{{Cite web |title=May 22, 2008 Windsor Tornado |url=https://www.weather.gov/bou/TornadoMay22nd2008 |publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=www.weather.gov/bou/TornadoMay22nd2008 |language=EN-US}}</ref>  While the time of year and location of the tornado were not unusual, the west to northwest path of the tornado was highly unusual, and the tornado occurred earlier in the day than is typical for the area.<ref name="crh.noaa.gov">{{cite web |url=http://www.crh.noaa.gov/bou/?n=news_116 |title=Weld County Tornado of May 22, 2008 rated as an EF3 |publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |access-date=February 25, 2011}}</ref>  The storm was accompanied by up to baseball sized hail and torrential rainfall, damaging a much larger area than the tornado itself.
[[File:Windsor-co-tornado-2008-05-22.jpg|thumb|Home in Windsor, CO severely damaged by tornado on May 22, 2008.]]

In addition to the damages to homes, the tornado damaged many businesses and government buildings.  The winds knocked over 15 railroad cars, vehicles, and semi trucks.  The tornado hit the Windmill Daycare Center; the staff and children all survived, suffering only minor cuts and bruises.  The tornado caused extensive damage to the [[Windsor Milling and Elevator Co. Building]], a building on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]. It would take nearly 10 years for the damage to be repaired. The tornado devastated many of the town's park and recreation facilities, including the cemetery, ball fields, swimming pool, the town's main park, and a new arts and heritage center.

The [[Red Cross]] housed several hundred individuals and arranged for housing of livestock in the immediate aftermath of the tornado. Governor [[Bill Ritter]] visited the Windsor area and declared a local state of emergency. The [[Colorado National Guard]] was dispatched to assist and protect the town.  On May 26, 2008, President [[George W. Bush]] designated the area as a Federal disaster area.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices-us-federal-government/14731623-1.html |title=Colo. tornado merits disaster designation |publisher=[[Greeley Tribune]] |access-date=February 25, 2011}}</ref>

The tornado caused $193.5 million in damage from about 24,000 auto and homeowner claims.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20090520/NEWS/905199942 |title=Tornado damage costs top $193 million |date=April 28, 2006 |publisher=[[Greeley Tribune]] |access-date=February 25, 2011}}</ref>  The U. S. [[Small Business Administration]] (SBA) approved more than $3 million in disaster loans to individuals and businesses in Weld County who suffered damage from the storm.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ci.windsor.co.us/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1904 |title=Town of Windsor Final Tornado Report |access-date=February 25, 2011}}</ref>