Afternoon storm causes damage in Commerce City

City program can help home owners with repairs

COMMERCE CITY – At least three funnel clouds were spotted over the city this afternoon and a possible microburst caused damage in the area of 68th Avenue and Bellaire Street.

Moving from south to northeast across the city shortly after 1 p.m., the storm downed trees, damaged some buildings and non-structural porches, and affected utility service in parts of the community.

A carport in the 6900 block of E. 69th Place was lifted off the ground and struck overhead power lines, causing power outages between Colorado and Brighton boulevards and 64th and 68th avenues. Xcel Energy is working to restore power to affected areas. Heavy hail also led to several traffic accidents, but no injuries have been reported in the wake of the storm.

City crews are in the process of assessing damage, picking up debris, clearing out storm drains and making minor roadway repairs where necessary, while teams of police and firefighters go door-to-door in affected areas to confirm there are no injuries or serious damage.

“The city’s tornado warning system worked well, providing citizens ample opportunity to prepare for the oncoming storm,” said Alan Colon, the city’s emergency manager.

Today’s storm hit nearly one year to the day of last May’s hail storm that damaged thousands of homes across Commerce City. Following the 2010 storm, the city issued nearly 3,000 permits for roof repair and replacement work.

Any home owners who sustained property damage in today’s storm are advised to document the damage for insurance purposes. Home owners can apply for a 50 percent rebate on city building permits and plan check fees associated with repair work through the city’s incentive program. This unique rebate program, started in 2010, was recently extended through August of this year.

Homeowners can qualify for the rebate even if a contractor pulls the building permit, and the rebates apply to owner-occupied, rental and second home properties. For an application or more information about the incentive program, visit www.c3gov.com/homeimprovement.