Preparing for potential damaging Wednesday winds

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Parts of New Mexico are in for some nasty wind, reaching the most intense levels Wednesday afternoon. 

But there is still time for folks to prepare their property for the damaging winds.

“It’s always important to be prepared,” said PNM Spokesperson, Kai Porter. 

Porter says there are things you can do right now to limit the impact at your home. 

“Take a few moments, look around your front yard, or your back yard, side of your home. You’re going to want to look for anything that’s not tied down, anything that isn’t secured,” said Porter. 

For example, patio furniture.

“Like this table or chairs. If they’re lighter, a strong gust of wind could pick them up and blow them away,” Porter said. 

And umbrellas. 

“That could easily blow up into, for example, this power line right above us, and that could cause an outage, could create a pretty dangerous situation for you or anybody on the ground,” said Porter. 

Don’t forget tools, hot tub covers, kiddie pools, and trampolines that often end up miles away from where they belong in wind not nearly as strong as what we’re expecting – they often cause serious damage. 

“If you do see something, an object stuck in a power line or caught in a power line, don’t attempt to remove it yourself. Always assume that power line is energized. Call 1-888-DIALPNM, and wait for our crews to get to the scene and make sure it’s safe,” Porter said. 

PNM reps say even just a few minutes of prep work could pay off in the aftermath– that goes for power outages, too. 

“By having an outage kit ready, that includes a flashlight, things like water, a radio, batteries, stuff like that,” said Porter. “We don’t know that you’re experiencing an outage until it’s reported to us. So the easiest way to do that is go to pnm.com/outage. Our crews are always ready year round 24/7 to respond to an outage, and that’s no different heading into this extreme wind event.”

Forecasters recommend you to not travel unless absolutely necessary Wednesday. If a power line were to fall on your car while you’re inside, do not get out stay inside, and call 911 and PNM.