GILPIN COUNTY — On January 31, 2026, the CSU Extension Service hosted a meeting at the Gilpin County Library on survival tips for dealing with the next power outage.

CSU Extension Agent Jennifer Cook moderated the meeting, while local subject matter experts spoke on a variety of topics pertinent to coping with extreme weather. The library community room was packed with residents eager to share their stories on how to survive in a dark house with no water.

The meeting format consisted of mini discussions on six topics: 1) Alternate sources of electricity, 2) heat, 3) light, 4) food and water, 5) sanitation, and 6) communications. A person with knowledge of each topic would start the discussion and then the audience would ask questions and offer additional ideas.

Gilpin County Sheriff Kevin Armstrong started the meeting by speaking about the need for residents to sign up for the county emergency services notification system called Hyper-Reach and the soon-to-be-implemented Genisis program.

Hyper-Reach is a reverse 911 system that allows residents to be notified about pending and mandatory evacuations. The Genisis program will notify residents on a variety of other issues.

Armstrong also spoke about the Red Cross Shelter that was established at the Gilpin RE-1 school to offer shelter and provide residents with an opportunity to warm up, get something to eat, recharge electrical devices, and refill water jugs for their houses.

The meeting also heard United Power representatives Travis Rodlin and Adam Dillan. They spoke about the events surrounding the power outages in December and the actions that United Power took to restore energy to unincorporated Gilpin County.

Alternate Sources of Electricity

The first and most extensively covered topic was installing alternate sources of electricity. Roy Gilbert led the discussion, which centered on configuring and installing generators. Gilbert lived on a boat for a number of years and has been living off the grid in Gilpin County for over a decade.

His first recommendation for anyone considering getting a generator is to calculate how much capacity they would need by adding up the power requirements in the house. The library has a power monitoring device that can be checked out, or they can be purchased for around $100. The power monitor can determine how much electricity a device like a refrigerator or freezer uses. There are spreadsheets available that can compute the total wattage needed to keep a house functioning until power is restored.

Once the total power requirements have been determined, the size of the generator can be calculated and its associated purchase cost.

Gilbert discussed the different kinds of generators available, including gas, propane, battery, and solar. Each has advantages and disadvantages. As well as the purchase cost, there could be additional costs for technicians to hook up the unit.

Electric vehicles were also mentioned as a possible electricity source to recharge cellphones, laptops, and batteries.

Heat

The discussion about heating a house was led by Daniel Jones and covered woodstoves, pellet stoves, and ventless portable heaters. Keeping a house heated is critical to keep pipes from freezing.

Most of those in the audience had woodstoves, considered a reliable source of heat but requiring chimney caps and spark arrestors if used during high wind events. Woodstoves or fireplaces can heat entire floors or the whole house.

Ventless portable heaters can be used to heat individual rooms for a short period of time. Use the Internet search term “Best indoor emergency heaters for power outage” to find the different brands.

The conversation also highlighted things that can be done before a power shutoff to help heat a house. Additional insulation was mentioned, and assistance from organizations like Axe and Snax or the Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP).

Light

Julia Shaw presented a variety of clever ways to light up a dark house. She displayed camping equipment like headlamps and solar inflatable lanterns. NEBO brand products were mentioned as outstanding alternative lighting sources.

The discussion touched on using candles or hurricane lamps although concerns were voiced about the risk of house fires.

There are many lights that use batteries but that requires a good supply of batteries on hand to ride out the storm.

Food and water

The highest recommendation for food was to store enough for three days that didn’t need to be heated. Using camp stoves was mentioned but discouraged because they are dangerous if used without proper ventilation.

Cook emphasized that food in a refrigerator was good for maybe 3-4 hours. Food thermometers could be used to check on how warm an item is, but her general instruction was that if it smelled bad then don’t eat it.

Emptying an ice drawer was also recommended to keep the ice from melting and leaking into the refrigerator.

Residents also discussed ways to store water for potable and non-potable purposes before a power outage occurs. Potable water is water that is safe to drink or use in cooking. Non-potable water can be used for flushing toilets or washing the dog.

Filling the bathtub or buckets was mentioned, along with purchasing bottled water. Boiling water on a woodstove was discussed as a way to get warm water for washing.

The designated Red Cross Shelter had available potable and non-potable water for anyone who ran out, but there were sometimes waiting lines for residents wanting to refill their jugs.

Sanitation

The central issue with sanitation was having enough water on hand to flush the toilets. Armstrong pointed out that you needed to refill the tank to get the toilet to work instead of dumping water into the bowl.

Communications

CC Peterson led the discussion on communications and started off by emphasizing the need to form networks of neighbors to stay in touch with each other during a crisis. Neighbors connecting with each other was a crucial part of knowing if someone nearby needs help.

Landlines were discussed as a communications device that stays active longer than cellphones. Satellite phones like Starlink starting at $50/month were mentioned, along with ham radios.

Marco Vasquez, a licensed ham radio operator, spoke about the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS), which are ham radio systems that can monitor emergency broadcasts and communicate emergency situations. He recommended getting licensed and operating a ham radio as a way to stay in touch during emergencies.

Embracing Uncertainty

Cook wrapped up the meeting by recognizing members of the Timberline Fire Protection District and thanking the audience for their attendance. She reminded everyone that mountain folks are hardy people who choose to live in inconvenient locations and are capable of embracing uncertainty by preparing for unexpected situations.

Power outages will happen again and preparation like emergency evacuations are key to dealing with them.

After the meeting, the United Power representatives stayed and answered questions from residents and listened to their concerns.

For more information about the meeting and tips for dealing with the next planned or unplanned power outage, contact the Gilpin County CSU Extension Service at 303-582-9106 or gilpin.extension.colostate.edu.