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Amazing tornado images captured by travelers at Denver International Airport

Another view of the Colorado tornado on July 28, 2012.

It was a tense situation at Denver International Airport this afternoon, as a tornado touched down briefly nearby, causing staff to rush travelers into underground shelters while others were forced to ride out the storm sitting on the runway.

Traveler Jen Milazzo, who had apparently just arrived at the airport shortly before the tornado struck, snapped this incredible picture of the twister while on her way to the bus:

Meanwhile, a short distance away, having also just arrived on another flight, Jane Bush and her fellow passengers were in a slightly more precarious position:

For those driving up to the airport, the view was even more ominous:

As the twister passed over the airport, the National Weather Service airport weather station managed to capture some data from the storm... at least before it stopped working (possibly hit and damaged?):

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This tornado was, apparently, only short-lived, and there have been no reports of injuries or damage. With the wind gust of 84 knots recorded at the airport weather station (that's over 155 km/h!), that puts it as a strong EF1 tornado, at the very least. However, it may have been even stronger. The Denver area, as well as most of northeastern Colorado, is still under a severe thunderstorm watch, and this was certainly an indication that tornadoes can develop from these storms.

(Photos courtesy: Jen Milazzo, Brian Horsfield)

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