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Wet, heavy snow is expected to hit this week and could bring down trees and power lines.
COLORADO, USA — The wet, heavy snow expected to hit this week could bring down trees and power lines.
Xcel Energy said they will have nearly 165 employees and crew members on standby to help restore power if it goes out.
At CORE Electric Cooperative, they’ve got equipment ready, linemen on standby and backups on hand if needed.
“We’ve done this before, so we know the kind of staffing that we need,” CORE communications manager Amber King said. “Mother Nature has her will. So, we are prepared if we need to be, but we’re hopeful that we don’t see a lot of issues.”
King said their crews have already gone out to check power poles and lines to make sure they can withstand the weather. Now, they’re putting plans in place and crews where they need to be before the storm hits.
“Making sure we have things like plans in case they’re out overnight,” King said. ”Where are they going to stay? Where can we get the crews rest? Where can we make sure the linemen get a hot meal? So all of that preparation is happening this week just in case.”
The co-op serves power to 5,000 square miles from the foothills to the mountains.
“A lot of our service territory is in the mountains and in areas that are really hard to access,” King said. “They’re not accessible by road. So crews do have to take things like snowmobiles up or hike in feet of snow to get to where they need to go – whether it’s to replace a pole or replace downed lines.”
“Our linemen are the best of the best and they’re out there in the elements to get our members’ power back on,” King said.
If you do see a downed power line, King said to treat it as if it’s active and live, because it can be a serious safety concern.
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