Colorado’s Forgotten 1916 Disaster: The Deadly Cyclone That Leveled the Town of Yuma

It's hard to imagine a world without your local meteorologist or the National Weather Service app to warn you of any upcoming severe weather. But over 110 years ago, this was the often deadly reality. In the state of Colorado, for example, a major life-threatening cyclone railed through the eastern plains and almost entirely decimated a small town. Here's the story of the 1916 Colorado Cyclone that seems largely forgotten—but should remind us of the power of Mother Nature.

On a seemingly normal May afternoon in 1916, the small Eastern Plains town of Yuma was struck by a large, unexpected cyclone that damaged numerous homes and businesses and injured dozens of people. Due to a lack of information on the storm, we're unable to report the exact death toll.

Because of the lack of technology to track weather and record photos and videos of storms at the time, it's hard to find much information about its aftermath. The severity of this storm and the toll it took on small-townspeople is largely forgotten in the history books. However, thanks to our friends at History Colorado, we can share a few photos of the destructive aftermath of the Yuma, Colorado storm.

As you can see, debris flew all around the town of Yuma because of the tornado. Men overlooked the aftermath of overturned safes, wagons on their sides, bricks, and a damaged barn in town. Wood panels, downed trees, automobiles, and brick buildings were destroyed in the wake of powerful winds.

Gable-roofed buildings were torn apart alongside downed electricity lines and telephone poles, which made communication with surrounding towns difficult. The water supply also suffered from the storm, which likely upended and shifted pipes.

Rural and city people witnessed damage to their homes and businesses. Downed roofs, trees, and crumbled brick buildings made it seem impossible to recover. But Colorado folk are resilient and built their way back to functioning cities, streets, farms, and more.

In the last 110 years, the town of Yuma has not only rebuilt and recovered but has grown to a population of just over 3,500. In fact, you can even find some places to stay in Yuma and other historical attractions worth visiting the next time you're driving through on a Colorado road trip.

Sure, Colorado has experienced plenty of other storms since the cyclone of 1916, including record-breaking snowstorms, flash floods, and wildfires. Thanks to modern weather mapping, storm preparedness, and technology, we're much more equipped to handle what nature brings our way.

Looking for more to explore in Colorado? Check out the stunning Mesa Verde National Park next time you're in Southwestern Colorado.