COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — Winds are forecasted to reach upwards of 60-70 miles per hour Thursday evening into Friday in the Colorado Springs area.
While wind may seem like nothing a chinook storm can be very dangerous under the right conditions. Colorado Springs Utilities wants you to be prepared and wants you to know they are prepared for what is ahead.
In a statement to the media Colorado Springs Utilities wants you to know these tips ahead of the upcoming storm:
General
- We have crews available and ready to roll 24/7 in case of emergencies and service interruptions. Two full electric crews and extra support staff will be on standby overnight ready to respond to emergencies.
- When we know inclement weather is moving into the area, we coordinate with the City of Colorado Springs for access to infrastructure and to ensure public and employee safety.
- We have mutual aid agreements with neighboring utilities should additional resources be needed.
- To expedite any required emergency repairs due to wind-related damage, we are prepared to halt all non-essential work.
- Customers should remove or secure outdoor holiday decorations, inflatables and lights prior to tonight to help prevent wind-related damage and ease potential access for emergency crews.
Electric and natural gas service
- Customers should report downed power lines by calling 719-448-4800. Stay away from power lines.
- Report and track electric outages using our online outage map.
- Do not use ovens, stoves or camping stoves for heat to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Since the December 2021 windstorm, we’ve seen a higher incidence of electric generator usage. Customers should follow manufacturer instructions to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning and electrocution hazards for themselves and our electric crews.
- In the case of snow, clear snow and ice from your natural gas meter to keep it running efficiently. Gently brush the snow off with your hands, broom or brush. Don’t kick it or hit it with a shovel, as this could damage the meter.
- After a storm, customers who are served by overhead electric lines must check their home’s mast for damage. Should an outage occur, the mast must be in working order before we can safely restore power to your home.
Electric service restoration reminders
- In the event of larger-scale power outages, we prioritize restoration based on impacts to critical infrastructure and public safety.
- We also prioritize based on total number of customers impacted. For example, if damage is identified that affects 100 customers, we will fix that before we make repairs to another area impacting two customers.
- If an area has extensive tree damage and limited access, there will sometimes be delays before our crews can safely repair damaged equipment. This approach is to keep both customers and our crews safe.
Downed trees
- For NON-emergency assistance with downed trees, Colorado Springs residents should use the GoCOS!
- To report a downed street tree in the public right of way in El Paso County, visit https://citizenconnect.elpasoco.com or call (719) 520-6460.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
