One of the two tornadoes that touched down in southeast Utah earlier this month reached wind speeds of 120 mph, as it damaged or destroyed buildings in the area, according to a preliminary report released Monday.

The severe weather activity picked up near the small community of Montezuma Creek shortly after noon on Sept. 13, according to the National Weather Service’s Grand Junction, Colorado, office, which oversees weather forecasting and data for eastern Utah. A tornado first touched down at 12:30 p.m., a few miles northeast of Montezuma Creek, lasting only about 15 minutes and not causing enough damage for experts to determine its strength.

The second twister was “more well-developed,” and touched down not far from the first tornado just before 1 p.m., reaching peak speeds that regi

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