The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Issue date: 5/11/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Brandon Iwamoto Southlands Cinema movie theater employees stand outside of their workplace following a tornado that struck Sunday afternoon, causing several cars to become overturned, caused a natural gas leak and various other forms of damage.

AURORA - A tornado touched down in the middle of a popular southeast Aurora outdoor shopping mall early Sunday afternoon, dropping golf ball-sized hail and leaving a trail of debris in its path.

While a few of the nearby business along the shopping center were untouched, most sported shattered windows and far more significant damage. A number of cars were overturned, as well.

Colorado State junior actuarial science major Andrew Lape was at a restaurant on the south end of the mall when the tornado hit.

"There was a bunch of us in the restaurant and we just gathered around and watched," Lape said. "There was hail falling everywhere and chairs were being flipped over."

"We just kind of watched in awe. Everyone did. Nobody wanted to leave because nobody knew what was going to happen."

University of Northern Colorado junior art major Erin McDonald was closer to the storms epicenter, in a nearby Hot Topic store.

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