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El Paso County is under a Winter Storm Warning until Friday, Jan. 9 at 2 p.m.

The National Weather Service in Pueblo forecasts accumulations between 4 to 7 inches in Colorado Springs.

They also expect strong winds up to 40 mph Friday morning and Friday afternoon.

Be prepared

Emergency supplies including water, a radio, various medical supplies, flashlights, and canned food sit on the ground with a red backpack.

Create your family's emergency kit

Kits should contain water, food, first aid supplies, medications, clothes, extra batteries and more

Create a kit

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Create or update an emergency plan

Families should know how to reach each other and where to meet in the event of an emergency.

Fill out a checklist

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Stop outages before they happen

We perform free safety inspections and tree trimming if branches threaten power lines on your property.

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Be safe

Click the + for tips to keep you and your family safe.

Power outage safety tips

If you have medical support equipment that is dependent on electricity, be ready with a back-up plan to maintain the use of your equipment.
Do not use ovens, stoves or camping stoves for heat to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
If you must use a generator, use one outdoors and away from windows.
Allow a kitchen faucet to run at a slow drip and open cabinets below the sink to help avoid frozen water lines in cold weather.
Review instructions for your garage doors or electric gates and learn how to operate them manually.
If food is 40 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer, especially dairy and meat, throw it out. Ask your prescriber about using refrigerated medicines following a prolonged outage.
Keep refrigerators and freezers shut. A full freezer can maintain its temperature for approximately two days without electricity if left unopened.
After an outage, disconnect electronics and appliances to avoid electrical surges as we work to restore electricity.
Do your part to prevent outages at your home. We offer free tree trimming around power lines. Call us at (719) 448-4800 before pruning, trimming or cutting down trees that are near overhead lines.

Damaged power line safety tips

Always assume that all utility lines are live.
Stay at least 35 feet away from downed power lines and anything lines are touching.
Do not touch someone who is in contact with a downed line. You could be electrocuted. Call 911 immediately.
Never touch any utility wire. Do not attempt to move a downed line or touch a branch that's in contact with a power line.
Electricity always seeks a path to the ground. When you become part of this path, you may be injured or killed.
Never touch any utility wire. Do not attempt to move a downed line or touch a branch that's in contact with a power line.
Call (719) 448-4800 to report a damaged line or pole.
Do not drive over downed power lines.
If there is a fallen power line near your home, stay inside unless told by emergency personnel to evacuate.
When we have a large number of outages and downed lines, we dispatch employees to stand guard over downed power lines to protect the public.
After a storm, check your meters for damage. Damaged meters can be a safety hazard. If your meter is damaged in a storm, call (719) 448-4800 and we'll inspect or replace it if needed.
Following a storm, inspect your mast. If you notice damage call a licensed contractor to arrange repairs.

Natural gas outage safety tips

During cold winter months, dress warmly in layers to conserve heat.
In the event of an outage during extreme cold, allow a kitchen faucet to run at a slow drip and open cabinets below the sink to help avoid frozen water lines.
Correctly use an electric space heater, fireplaces or alternative heating methods. Do not use ovens, stoves or camping stoves to heat your home.
During a snow storm, clear snow and ice from your natural gas meter to keep it running efficiently. Gently brush the snow off with your hands, broom or brush. Don’t kick it or hit it with a shovel, as this could damage the meter.
If your meter is damaged, do not attempt to repair it yourself. Call (719) 448-4800 to have us inspect/repair meters.
In an outage during cold weather, uncover south-facing windows to take advantage of heat from the sun. Close coverings on other windows.
Stop incidents before they happen. Contact 811 before you dig to avoid hitting gas, water, electric, sewage and other lines underground.
If you smell, hear or see a natural gas leak, leave the area immediately and call 911 to report it.
In the event of a leak, do not use electric appliances and anything that can spark.

Water outage safety tips

Ahead of a severe storm or planned outage, fill containers with tap water. Fill your bath tub with water to flush your toilet.
In the event of a wildfire evacuation, confirm that water is safe to drink after returning to your home.
Flush interior water lines following a water outage. Run cold water from each faucet for three to five minutes until the water runs clear. Repeat until all faucets in your home have been flushed.
Avoid using hot water until water runs clear. You may need to flush the water heater as well. Refer to your water heater's manual for additional instructions.
Flush outdoor spigots by removing nozzles or sprinklers from hoses and allowing the water to run for 10-15 minutes. Repeat the process as necessary until water runs clear.
If a boil order is issued for your area, use bottled water for drinking and cooking food. If that's not possible, please bring water to a full boil for at least three minutes.
Under a boil order, use bottled water when brushing your teeth, providing water to pets, cleaning surfaces or washable objects.

Additional resources

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Be COS Ready

COS Ready

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Office of Emergency Management

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Save water

Save energy

Home efficiency

Business efficiency

Residential rebates & programs

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Conservation & Environmental Center

Visit our Conservation & Environmental Center

Save water

Save energy

Home efficiency

Business efficiency

Residential rebates & programs

Business rebates & programs

Conservation & Environmental Center

Visit our Conservation & Environmental Center

Save water

Save energy

Home efficiency

Business efficiency

Residential rebates & programs

Business rebates & programs

Conservation & Environmental Center

Visit our Conservation & Environmental Center

Save water

Save energy

Home efficiency

Business efficiency

Residential rebates & programs

Business rebates & programs

Conservation & Environmental Center

Visit our Conservation & Environmental Center

Save water

Save energy

Home efficiency

Business efficiency

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