GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — Expected severe weather in Western Colorado led Xcel Energy to issue a press release to warn residents of Mesa and Garfield Counties of the possibilities of power outages in the coming days.
High winds and dry conditions present challenges for keeping power on.
President of Xcel Energy Colorado Robert Kenney told WesternSlopeNow, "We don't anticipate, and we are not planning to turn people's power off, but the high winds can lead to things blowing into our power lines or other things that would cause the power to go out. We wanted to make sure that we were letting our customers know what we know and let them see what we're seeing, then helping them to take preparations in advance of that."
What you can do to prepare is to build a emergency home kit. Included in the press release is a list of items recommended.
- Battery-powered radio
- Flashlights
- Batteries
- Backup phone chargers
- A phone that does not require electricity
- Non-electric alarm clock
- Bottled water and non-perishable food
- Manual can opener
- First aid kit
- Extension cords (for partial outages)
- Manufacturer's instructions on how to manually open power-operated doors (e.g. garage doors)
- Xcel Energy phone numbers - (800) 895-1999 for residential or (800) 481-4700 for business
Residents are also reminded to adjust the temperature on their refrigerators and freezers to keep food cool during the possible outage.
Helpful links are listed below.
