High winds prompt dust storm warning and health alerts in New Mexico
NEW MEXICO — Another windy day in New Mexico is prompting alerts statewide for blowing dust and poor conditions Tuesday.
The National Weather Service issued a dust storm warning for Roswell and surrounding areas – as well as Fort Sumner, Dunken and an area of Interstate 40 near the New Mexico-Texas state line.
The warning is in effect until 12:45 p.m. In that time, near zero visibility in blowing dust, “dangerous life-threatening travel” is likely.
The warning will not only affect I-40 but also U.S. Highways 285 and 380.
The Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Air Quality Program also issued a health alert due to blowing dust. It is in effect until 11 p.m. Tuesday.
The alert means Albuquerque and Bernalillo County residents with respiratory conditions should limit outdoor activity.
Before issuing the alert, the City of Albuquerque also issued a shutdown notice for any contractors and businesses generating dust. That also goes until 11 p.m. Tuesday.
Steps that you can take during health alerts:
- Limit your time spent outdoors and avoid outdoor exercise.
- Schools and senior citizen facilities may want to provide indoor activities to minimize exposure to elevated outdoor particulate levels.
- Keep windows and doors closed. If needed for comfort, use air conditioners or heating systems in recycle/recirculation mode.
- If symptoms of heart or lung disease occur, (including shortness of breath, chest tightness, chest pain, palpitations or unusual fatigue) contact your healthcare provider.
- Individuals with heart or lung disease should follow their health management plan from their healthcare provider.
- Asthmatic individuals should follow a prescribed asthma management plan.
These winds aren’t just a nuisance and a health hazard. They’re also an electrical hazard.
That is why PNM is asking you to secure anything you have outside so it doesn’t fly into the power lines and cause an outage. Also, stay away from power lines and don’t attempt to remove anything from them.
PNM is also encouraging you to be careful outdoors. If you’re experiencing an outage, give them a call at 888-342-5766. You can also go online or text “#OUT” to 78766.
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