Power restored to 80% of affected Black Hills customers

UPDATE: FRIDAY 3/15/2024 9:20 p.m.

(SOUTHERN COLORADO) — Black Hills Energy (BHE) said after crews worked throughout the night on Thursday, March 15 and into Friday, power has been restored to more than 80% of customers affected by a widespread outage cause by heavy snow and damage to power lines.

BHE said at the height of the storm, 19,000 customers were experiencing outages. Restorations continue for some who are still without power.

Over the course of the storm, the cities of Cripple Creek and Cañon City were among the most impacted with an accumulation of snow in some areas of five feet or more. The powerlines serving these communities traverse steep, mountainous terrain, which required BHE crews to inspect powerlines and pole structures with snowmobiles and specialized equipment.

BHE said crews will once again work through the night to continue restoring service. Customers without power can continue to track and monitor the status of this outage on the outage webpage or follow BHE on Facebook and X (Twitter).

ORIGINAL STORY: Crews work to restore power in mountain communities

FRIDAY 3/15/2024 11:03 a.m.

According to Julie Rodriguez, a spokesperson for Black Hills Energy, the mountain communities of Cripple Creek, Victor, and Cañon City are still experiencing power outages, as of March 15 at 9:50 a.m. due to heavy, wet snow causing disruptions in their system.

Their crews worked through the night to restore service to customers impacted by the storm, and they continue to make progress. With up to five feet or more in some areas, it can be difficult for crews to access equipment to assess the damage and make repairs.

Crews are using snowmobiles to reach powerlines and equipment located in steep, mountainous terrain, and are working quickly to safely restore service. Customers can visit the website or call (888) 890-5554 for information.

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