On May 10th, moments after the school bell rang, students were startled by an alarming alert on their phones. An emergency notification popped up, warning everyone in the area about an approaching tornado. Panic spread among the students as faculty members encouraged students to head home as soon as their rides had arrived, threatening to lock everyone inside the building if they didn’t leave.

Outside, the area was filled with the sounds of popping popcorn. Large chunks of hail falling from the sky, with a rainstorm that pounded trees and left dents on cars.

CBS Colorado, reported that a Tornado Warning was in effect until 4:30 p.m. for cities like Denver, as well as Adams, Arapahoe, Douglas and Elbert counties. The storm triggered multiple tornado warnings throughout the afternoon in various counties, including Jefferson, Park, and Teller.

The unusual weather conditions confused many students. Just earlier that morning, a fog had appeared in the humid air around the school. It seemed out of place with the bright and sunny day we’ve experienced the day before. Questions arose among the students, wondering where this sudden change in weather had come from.