RUIDOSO OUTAGE UPDATE: Yesterday, there were approximately 18,000 customers without power. As of right now, there are about 9,500 customers still to be restored. Additional crews were called in and have been working to get power safely restored for customers in Ruidoso. The majority of the damage our crews are seeing is not due to the fire, rather it’s been due to the 75-90MPH winds the area experienced yesterday. The decision to shut off power yesterday was a difficult but very necessary decision done out of an abundance of caution to first responders and customers in Ruidoso.
Today, it is not a matter of flipping a switch to restore power to Ruidoso after the fire, rather PNM crews are working tirelessly through the extensive damage the high winds created. Heavy terrain, fallen trees, repairing or replacing broken power poles, cross arms, and downed powerlines are all factors in safely restoring power. Since access has been lifted to a lot of areas that needed repair, PNM is anticipating power to be restored to about 4,000-5,000 customers in Ruidoso around 10 PM tonight, but that could fluctuate depending on a number of different circumstances. Right now we’re looking at being able to restore the northern end of Mechem and Sudderth next.
There may be a smaller number of customers not restored at and near Ruidoso Middle School until Friday. However, we are currently evaluating if we can re-route power from one source and feed it to this area so it can be restored sooner. To get an idea of areas that are still without power, you can visit PNM.com/outage, then zoom in to Ruidoso, and zoom in even further to see the status of power around different neighborhoods.
As the sun starts to go down, we know getting power back up is a priority for everyone, and safely restoring power as quickly as possible is absolutely a priority for PNM as well. If you have burned or damaged services, please don’t attempt to make these repairs yourself in order to try to restore your power.
We ask that you keep a safe distance away and then call us at 888-DIAL-PNM (or 888-342-5766) if you have burnt meter or service damage. You will also need to have a licensed electrician check inside your home behind the meter to ensure safety before any services can be restored. After such a tragic event Ruidoso experienced yesterday, we know that being without power is incredibly difficult and unnerving for this amount of time. We live and work in Ruidoso too. Please know that we will not stop working around the clock for you until all power has been restored. Further updates will be provided as it becomes available.