Power outages in Colorado disrupted businesses, traffic and 911 calls in Aurora

A widespread power outage Sunday afternoon in Colorado left shoppers in the dark, disrupted traffic and briefly affected Aurora's ability to receive 911 calls.

Police responded to multiple crashes as traffic signals went dark.

Around 5:30 p.m., APD officers responded to a vehicle-versus-pedestrian crash at East Quincy Avenue and South Himalaya Street, where traffic lights were not functioning due to the outage.

Investigators say a 17-year-old girl was crossing Quincy Avenue in a crosswalk while riding an electric scooter when she was struck by an SUV traveling westbound. Police say the driver stopped at the non-functioning signal but did not see the teen in the crosswalk before proceeding.

The pedestrian was taken to a local hospital. Her condition has not been released. The driver was issued a summons for careless driving resulting in injury.

While Aurora 911 never lost power, the outage briefly interrupted the city's ability to receive direct 911 calls.

Director Tina Buneta said dispatchers were actively assisting callers when the disruption happened.

The last direct 911 call came in at 2:47 p.m., and Aurora 911 did not receive another incoming emergency call for approximately 24 minutes, she said. During that time, Bunetta said the city quickly confirmed that all internal systems -- including phones, radios, and computer-aided dispatch -- were functioning normally.

"That told us the causal factor was happening outside of the city infrastructure," she said.

Under Colorado's statewide emergency backup system, Aurora's 911 calls automatically rolled over to the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office, which serves as Aurora's designated failover center.

"Every 911 center identifies another 911 center to be their failover," Bunetta explained. "So if something is disruptive, the call is still answered -- it's just not necessarily answered in your jurisdiction."

Bunetta said Aurora typically receives about one 911 call per minute. Arapahoe County received 144 calls in the first hour, many related to the outage, according to officials. Once safe, calls were transferred back to Aurora using the city's administrative line, allowing dispatchers to continue sending help with minimal delay.

Dispatchers also saw a spike in calls from residents seeking information about the outage.

"There may be people who live in their residence, but they rely on their power for life-supportive devices like oxygen and other things," Bunetta said. "So we never want to tell anyone, 'Don't report an outage.'"

Still, she urged residents to reserve 911 for emergencies, especially during widespread disruptions.

"When our 911 queues are overwhelmed, we are potentially delaying service to someone who's having a life-threatening emergency," she said. "Every second counts."

According to Xcel Energy, power was fully restored by 5:47 p.m. The transformer at the Tollgate Substation is now being replaced.

Investigations into the precise cause are ongoing.