The National Weather Service estimates that the Logan County tornado was an EF 1, meaning relatively weak on a scale of zero to five.
The storm destroyed a barn, damaged homes and knocked down power poles. No one was injured.
The tornado came close to a wind farm in Peetz, about 25 miles north of Sterling.
Viewer video sent to 9NEWS showed the tornado moving across fields and coming dangerously close to the wind farm.
"I'm glad it didn't hit the turbine directly," said Daniel Laird, director of the National Wind Technology Center.
The research facility tests the limits of modern day windmills and is a part of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
"The machines are designed for very high wind speeds," Laird said.
Last November, 100 mph winds blew through the testing center. The turbines weren't damaged, as they're designed to withstand gusts of up to 140 mph.
No matter how strong the winds are, the blades will not spin out of control.
"Above 55 mph the turbine shuts off. The head of the turbine yaws so that it minimizes the loads. So up to those levels of winds it should not be a problem," Laird said.
It's a safety measure for both the turbines and nearby buildings. Although a direct hit is bad news for man-made structures and tornadoes have damaged the machines in the past, but in most cases they're made to weather the wind.
