Windsor Gardens Life

Windsor Life Page 4 From Dennis Knight, Co-Chair, Building Representatives Zone Committee Denver and much of Colorado suffered the most severe weather event in years on Wednesday, March 13, 2019. The storm impacted Windsor Gardens, too, with more than half of the buildings going without power from mid-morning to early evening. Weather forecasters had predicted the storm, calling it a “bomb cyclone.” To be classified as such, barometric pressure must take a huge drop in 24 hours. The prognosticators turned out to be right – March 13 had what may have been the lowest barometer reading in Colorado history. It brought a ferocious blizzard with hurricane-force winds that closed Denver International Airport, snarled highways in every direction and eliminated nearly all driving in Denver. The storm left more than 200,000 Coloradans without power, many for more than 24 hours. In the case of Windsor Gardens, an Xcel Energy transformer exploded, instantly cutting power to buildings in the eastern and central parts of the community. Buildings to the west, served by another transformer, were spared, reporting only the occasional flicker of lights. Because of its sheer intensity, most residents, whether or not they had heat and power, weathered the blizzard in their homes. The community lost a number of its treasured trees, but no other damage was reported. The power loss affected the business and community response offices, leaving them also without light and communications. The staff immediately acted and, by way of cell phones, initiated a phone Windsor Gardens Weathers the Bomb Cyclone Many Residents Without Power for Hours tree involving the building zone representatives and building reps to identify which buildings were affected. A chief concern as the hours without power grew longer was the need for oxygen that many of the residents have. The power outage also affected heat in the buildings, causing even greater worry, and adding to the staff’s urgency in pressing the power company for restoration of service. Rebecca Zazueta, Business Manager, and Patricia Frawley, CommunityAdministrator, remained on site throughout the day, staying in touch with residents and with Xcel. The community response office and Chief Euell Santistevan worked tirelessly to support residents and to help staff in managing the situation. Bill Walsh and his maintenance and plumbing personnel, along with Dana Cusack and the grounds crew, were assisting on site throughout the entire event and the aftermath, and by Thursday mid-morning entryways, walks, parking lots and streets were opening and passable. Planning and Preparing for Possible Future Events Discussions among the board and staff in the days immediately following the storm have centered on plans to engage Xcel for an assessment of transformers and priority of service for the Windsor Gardens community whose demographics include individuals with oxygen and other medical needs. And the Building Representative Committee plans to research and publicize information for residents to help prepare their homes for events that may someday rival the bomb cyclone.