GOLDEN, Colo. — Tens of thousands of Jefferson County residents remain without power after hurricane-force winds swept through parts of the Front Range on Wednesday. It's unclear when power will be fully restored.
The wind event on Wednesday prompted Xcel Energy to trigger a public safety power shutoff (PSPS) across the area that same afternoon.
Some gusts on Wednesday afternoon knocked down power lines along Highway 93 in Golden. Denver7 was there as crews worked to repair the broken poles and downed lines.
"To be honest, it feels pretty apocalyptic," said Golden resident Nicolas Shane, referring to the widespread power outages affecting homes and businesses.
Meanwhile, in Downtown Golden, many restaurants and shops were forced to close because of the preemptive power shutoff.
During the height of the storm, Denver7 met Mark Rice as he walked his dog.
"When I bought the house, I was playing golf one day, and the guy said, 'Oh, be ready for the wind'. I'm going, 'What are you talking about?' Well, we know what they're talking about," laughed Rice.
With no word by Wednesday night on when the power would return, people told Denver7 they're doing what they can to preserve what's in the fridge.
"The thing is, you just open it up quick, get what you need, and shut it back," Rice said.
Despite the inconvenience and uncertainty about when power will be restored, some residents said it's worth the cost to protect their homes and lives from wildfire.
"If there's anything that we can do to prevent this, then we're game," Shane said.
