Hurricane-force winds knock out power, fan wildfires across Colorado Front Range as more gusts loom
Xcel Energy cut power preemptively to prevent sparking; officials warn outages will persist as crews inspect lines and the region braces for stronger winds
Hurricane-force winds that topped 100 mph swept across the Colorado Front Range on Wednesday, knocking down power lines and fueling wildfires as crews prepared for more gusts along the plains and into the Great Plains.
Xcel Energy shut off power through much of its eastern Colorado service area to prevent downed lines from igniting fires, a move that left tens of thousands without electricity as the storm moved through. By Thursday afternoon, about 60% of the roughly 700 miles of de-energized lines had been restored, but roughly 37,000 Xcel customers remained without power across the Front Range and into the Rocky Mountains. Officials warned that another round of outages could come Friday, as wind speeds were forecast to strengthen and persist for longer.
Robert Kenney, president of Xcel Energy-Colorado, cautioned that power would not return immediately because lines must be inspected before service could be restored.
In central Denver, outages persisted overnight, with reports of furniture blown from apartment balconies, at least one window blown out and debris littering streets as winds whipped through the city. Forecasters warned the effects would linger into the day as crews worked to restore service and assess damaged lines.
As the wind powers fires along the Front Range, emergency management officials said at least 14,000 acres (5,700 hectares) had burned in Yuma County since Wednesday afternoon, with the exact cause still under investigation. A grass fire on the south side of Cheyenne, Wyoming, prompted an evacuation for several hours on Wednesday evening, though no structures were reported burned.
Across Kansas, high winds and red flag warnings closed a stretch of Interstate 70 near the state’s western border with Colorado as blowing dust reduced visibility. Officials urged motorists to delay nonessential travel.
In the Pacific Northwest, heavy rain continued to fall along with snow in the mountains. Washington rivers had fallen since recent flooding damaged roads and prompted more than 600 rescues in the region. Parts of southern Oregon and northern California were expected to see several more inches of rain and strong winds Friday and into the weekend.