Updated at 3:23 p.m. on Thursday, June 22, 2023
Red Rocks Amphitheater outside Morrison will immediately resume concerts while looking at ways to help people evacuate more quickly in the event of an emergency after a hail storm pummeled fans at an outdoor concert Wednesday night.
Staff issued a mandatory evacuation order for the amphitheater just after 9 p.m. Wednesday, less than 10 minutes before golf ball-sized balls of ice rained down on the crowd of 6,000 attendees ahead of a Louis Tomlinson concert.
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Seven people were hospitalized and as many as 90 were injured after hail swept across Red Rocks Amphitheatre Wednesday night during a concert.
West Metro Fire District said the injuries ranged from bruises and cuts to broken bones. None were considered life-threatening.
Video posted by some of those at the performance by singer-songwriter Louis Tomlinson showed concertgoers fleeing for cover as hail ranging from pea- to golf ball-sized and larger pelted the venue.
Patrons sought cover anywhere they could at the venue or ran to their cars, where many found smashed windshields and dents from large hailstones.
The storm that produced the hail was one of several across the state Wednesday, including one that spawned tornadoes on the eastern plains. No injuries were reported, but one tornado destroyed a resident’s home while he hid in the basement, according to Logan County emergency managers.
A health care building under renovation also collapsed in Sterling. Multiple tornadoes touched down outside Akron as well.
Denver had grape-sized hail from a storm cell that moved in around 9 p.m.
More severe thunderstorms are forecast to hit the Front Range and Eastern Plains on Thursday. They could produce large hail, according to the National Weather Service.
“Any storms that develop could produce heavy rain, gusty winds, and frequent lightning,” the NWS tweeted. “Stay prepared.”
