High winds in the metro area have left more than 7,000 people without power, according to Xcel Energy spokeswoman Ethnie Groves.
The outages seem to have come from one large gust around 1:40 p.m. that led to branches falling on power lines, she said.
Gusts of about 35 mph were recorded in the city, said National Weather Service meteorologist Jim Kalina.
Almost 4,500 people lost power in the area of Jackson and Quebec streets and 13th and Eighth avenues, Groves said.
Smaller outages from Birch to Elm streets and 29th Avenue to Montview Boulevard have left 1,566 without power. From Colorado Boulevard to Kearney Street and Martin Luther King Boulevard to 26th Avenue, about 1,116 people were experiencing outages.
Xcel crews are out working to restore power, Groves said.
The Denver Fire Department also was inundated with calls related to the wind, said spokesman Phil Champagne.
“It’s been a very busy couple of hours for us,” he said.
The wind cut a wide swath through the metro area, sending crews out to deal with downed power lines, elevator rescues, electrical shorts and car accidents caused by traffic-light outages, Champagne said.
Staff writer Sara Crocker can be reached at 303-954-1661 or scrocker@denverpost.com.
