AS OF 7:00 MONDAY MORNING, PNM REPORTS 21 HUNDRED CUSTOMERS STILL DIDN'T HAVE POWER. THAT'S SINCE THE LIGHTS WENT OUT DURING THE BIG STORM THAT SWEPT THROUGH THE METRO AREA FRIDAY NIGHT, KNOCKING OUT POWER NOT ONLY IN ALBUQUERQUE , BUT IN CORRALES, THE EAST MOUNTAINS, AND SANDOVAL AND VALENCIA COUNTIES. AT THE PEAK OF THE STORM, 32 THOUSAND PNM CUSTOMERS HAD NO POWER.
SPOKESPERSON VALERIE SMITH TELLS 770 KKOB THEY HAD 90 PERCENT OF THEM BACK ONLINE BY SATURDAY … BUT BY SUNDAY, PROGRESS HAD SLOWED DUE TO LARGE UPROOTED TREES THAT HAD FALLEN ONTO UTILITY EQUIPMENT. SHE SAYS IT'S TAKING CREWS EXTRA TIME TO PULL TREES OFF THAT EQUIPMENT AND CUT IT INTO SECTIONS SO IT CAN BE FULLY REMOVED.
IN ALBUQUERQUE, THE SOUTH VALLEY SEEMED TO HAVE TAKEN THE BRUNT OF THE STORM. IN FACT, SMITH SAYS ANY AREA SOUTH OF I-40 THAT HAS A LOT OF LARGE TREES WAS HIT THE WORST IN THE CITY … LIKE THE SOUTH VALLEY AND PARTS OF THE SOUTHEAST HEIGHTS. SHE SAYS CREWS ARE GOING NEIGHBORHOOD-TO-NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSE-TO-HOUSE TO GET POWER RESTORED. UTILITY CREWS FROM ACROSS NEW MEXICO AND FROM TEXAS AND ARIZONA ARE HELPING PNM RESTORE POWER … A FIRST FOR PNM.
