Denver Power Outages Stretch Into 3rd Day For Thousands

DENVER, CO –Xcel Energy still had many outages in Colorado Thursday night, with more than 37,000 customers facing their third day with no power. Almost all of the outages are in the Denver area, the company said.

"By the end of day Friday, we anticipate a significant reduction in the number of customers that remain without service," the company predicted on its website Thursday night. "It is important to note that the remaining restoration efforts may require more complex repairs due to extensive damage to our poles, wires and equipment. Some areas have been difficult to access and there are many trees or branches on our lines."

The company sought help from 300 temporary crew members from other states, but travel complications prevented them from arriving on time to help the existing 500 employees and contractors on the lines, the company said.

Any remaining customers without service will be contacted with updated restoration times.

Wednesday's Wednesday's "bomb cyclone" blizzard, knocked out power, at least temporarily to more than 430,000 customers, Xcel said in a statement. On Thursday, 85,000 customers still had no electricity after fierce winds up to 70 mph knocked out power lines.

Customers who have reported their power outages by text should get an update with an estimated time that power will be restored, the company said. If you still haven't reported a power outage, text OUT to 98936 to report an outage or text STAT to check the status of your outage.

"We appreciate your understanding as we work safely and as quickly as possible to restore power to customers affected by these weather conditions. The safety of our employees and customers is our highest priority."

Check out the Xcel Outage Map here.

Is your food safe?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers the following guidelines for if your power is out for more than four hours (if it is out for less than four hours, the food in your refrigerator and freezer will be safe to consume).

• Freezers A freezer that is half full will hold food safely for up to 24 hours. A full freezer will hold food safely for 48 hours. Do not open the freezer door if you can avoid it.
• Refrigerators Pack milk, other dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, gravy, and spoilable leftovers into a cooler surrounded by ice. Inexpensive Styrofoam coolers are fine for this purpose.
• Food Temperature Use a food thermometer to check the temperature of your food right before you cook or eat it. Throw away any food that has a temperature of more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Related: Bomb Cyclone Wind Totals Across Colorado

Related: Denver Airport Slowly Returns to Operation After Bomb Cyclone

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