14 People Injured, 2 Zoo Animals Killed, Hundreds of Cars Damaged by Hailstorm

[kellyhound]

A powerful hailstorm swept through parts of Colorado on Monday, injuring 14 people, killing two zoo animals and damaging hundreds of cars.

The massive storm, which produced baseball-sized hail in some parts, prompted an evacuation at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs as the area was pummeled with chunks of ice.

By the time the storm had passed, the zoo, which remained closed on Tuesday due to the destruction, estimated that nearly 400 cars in its parking lot were severely damaged. Two birds on exhibit died from trauma.

“One animal was Daisy, a 4-year-old muscovy duck. The other animal was 13-year-old cape vulture, Motswari,” the zoo said in a Facebook post.

Dramatic video taken at the park shows at least two bears attempting to dodge the falling ice as the hail bombards their open enclosure and swimming pool.

Colorado Springs police reported that five people were transported from the zoo to hospitals for injuries. Nine others were treated at the scene and released.

“It was crazy. The zoo, when we came out of there, literally it looked like a tornado came through,” Danielle Fillis, 47, who was visiting the zoo with her husband, told the Colorado Springs Gazette.

Their car was totalled, she said, and their legs were slashed by glass broken by the hail.

“There were trees down, the whole walkway was covered in debris and animals were making a lot of noise,” Fillis added.

Brandon Sneide, who said he was a member of Colorado’s National Guard who had been deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, said he saw one woman at the zoo covered in blood.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...b0de86f4a552d3

[kellyhound]

another video

[kellyhound]

another

[Bleed]

Aww, poor giraffe.

[Oswald2001]

OK, I'll say it...

[Meridian]

That’s amazing. That giraffe though. I don’t like zoos anyway but this was sad. They had no escape

[pervM]

Those who took the bus/tourbus to the zoo that day must've felt lucky.