Monsoon season is upon us in New Mexico, and storms can present certain electrical safety hazards and may cause power outages.
PNM has compiled some simple tips to keep you and your family safe during inclement weather.
Strong winds and storms may have the potential to bring down power poles and power lines. Do not touch downed or sagging power lines and consider them and anything touching them energized and dangerous.
Stay as far away as possible and immediately contact PNM at 888-DIAL-PNM (888-342-5766).
Prepare an outage kit:
- water
- non-perishable food
- flashlights
- first aid kit
- small radio
- important documents
- cash
- batteries
Account for all members of your household when preparing your kits, including children, pets and anyone who may need medication or medical devices.
Storms may blow tree branches or other objects into powerlines. Never attempt to remove anything from the lines. Stay away and call us at 888-DIAL-PNM.
Additional safety tips can be found at PNM.com/safety.
Reporting a power outage
It’s important for PNM customers to report a power outage. There are a few different ways to let PNM know when your home or business is experiencing an outage.
You can report a power outage by calling 888-DIAL-PNM, online at PNM.com/outage or you can text #OUT to 78766 from the phone number that is on your PNM account.
Customers may need to register first by texting #REG to 78766. Message and data rates may apply.
Outage updates are always available at PNM.com/outage.
Understanding how power is restored
Outages can occur for many reasons. During an outage and/or storm, our crews’ priority is to make sure the scene is safe, assess the damage, and then start the restoration efforts.
In the case of a major, widespread storm, this assessment may take a while. The information they gather helps us plan our work. Crews may need to patrol miles of power lines — sometimes on foot, depending on the terrain — to look for damage and the cause of the outage.
So even if you don’t see PNM trucks in your neighborhood, we are still working to get your power restored.
As PNM works to restore power, you may see your neighbor’s lights on, while your location remains in the dark. Different parts of a neighborhood may be serviced by different power lines and/or facilities, and not all circuits are always restored at one time.
About PNM
PNM is the largest electricity provider in New Mexico, serving more than 530,000 customers in dozens of communities across the state. PNM is a subsidiary of PNM Resources, an energy holding company also headquartered in Albuquerque.
For more information, visit PNM.com.
The Valencia County News-Bulletin is a locally owned and operated community newspaper, dedicated to serving Valencia County since 1910 through the highest journalistic and professional business standards. The VCNB is published weekly on Thursdays, including holidays both in print and online.
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April 18, 2024
