High winds, severe fire conditions could prompt Public Safety Power Shutoff in parts of New Mexico Thursday
(Albuquerque, NM) – With sustained strong winds and low humidity in the forecast this week, PNM is reminding all of its customers to be prepared for possible weather-related power outages through Thursday.
The National Weather Service has Red Flag Warnings in several parts of the state due to increased wildfire risk. In response, PNM is changing settings on parts of its system to reduce the risk of power lines igniting a wildfire.
The enhanced system settings mean an increased chance of extended, weather-related outages tomorrow through Thursday, April 17, while the Red Flag Warnings are in effect. These settings automatically de-energize power lines when strong winds cause debris or trees to contact lines, reducing the chance of igniting a fire. Power outages are more likely with these settings, and customers should prepare for outages lasting for several hours and possibly overnight.
PNM is also evaluating a possible Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) on Thursday in communities where fire risk is forecasted to be extreme, including:
A PSPS means turning off power to certain areas when extreme weather and fire conditions create a high risk of the power system becoming an ignition source for a wildfire. PNM would only take this step as a last resort to keep communities safe and would directly notify affected customers with as much advanced notice as possible. Customers are reminded to log into their accounts on PNM.com to make sure their contact information is up to date to receive important notifications from PNM.
PNM will provide a media update regarding the potential of a PSPS on Wednesday, April 16.
PNM encourages all customers to prepare for potential power disruptions by taking a few steps ahead of the weather:
Stay safe. Customers should stay away from downed power lines. If you see a downed power line, do not touch it or anything in contact with it. Call 911 and PNM immediately at 888-DIAL-PNM. Always consider a power line energized and dangerous.
Stay informed. Customers should sign up for outage alerts by texting #REG to 78766 from a phone number associated with their account. Then text #ALERT to 78766.
Stay prepared. The American Red Cross advises customers prepare a power outage kit including water, food, flashlights, and medications. For more tips from the American Red Cross visit https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/power-outage.html.
Report an outage. PNM may not be aware of an outage in your area unless you report it by: texting #REG to 78766 and then #OUT to 78766, going online at PNM.com/outage, or calling us at 888-DIAL-PNM.
For more information on wildfire safety, visit PNM.com/wildfire-safety.
