Frozen pipes, busted water mains, boil-water order possible amid winter storm, officials say | Local Politics
New Orleans officials warned residents Monday of potential boiling water advice and other hazards as temperatures in the city continued to drop ahead of a freezing, parade-free Mardi Gras.
Some of the biggest threats to the city from sub-freezing temperatures – which are expected to start Monday afternoon and last through Fat Tuesday – are broken water pipes and frozen pipes.
While the city has largely avoided the snow and ice that has fallen in other parts of the state, temperatures are expected to drop below freezing in the coming hours, which could still make for icy roads.
The rain should stop around noon.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell warned in a press conference on Monday that travel could be dangerous from Monday afternoon. She urged residents to go inside by 3 p.m. and prepare to stay there until Tuesday noon.
“We face three challenges: firstly, COVID-19; second, the management of crowds during Carnival; and third, this weather that will affect our streets, our energy, and our pipes, ”said Cantrell. “There is a message you should get from this: We need you, that you stay home and stay safe.”
Shortly before 6 p.m., the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority suspended ferry traffic on the Algiers Point-Canal Street and Lower Algiers-Chalmette ferry routes due to ice on the landing barges. It said the service will not resume until conditions improve and did not give a time.
The RTA said bus and tram traffic will continue on a Saturday schedule as long as weather conditions permit.
Mayor Latoya Cantrell during a press conference at New Orleans City Hall on Friday, February 5, 2021.
The cold, wet weather on Lundi Gras put a further damper on the carnival celebrations.
With parades canceled and bars closed before Fat Tuesday to contain the spread of COVID-19, many city dwellers were still expecting some smaller celebrations in the neighborhood. But the storm of winter weather could make these already small celebrations even smaller.
At dawn on Tuesday, forecasters call for temperatures around the low 20s on the south bank and teenagers on the north bank. Winds up to 10 miles per hour are expected to produce “felt” wind chill readings in teenagers south of Lake Pontchartrain and in the single digits on the north shore.
Mardi Gras confetti in a puddle of water on a rainy day in New Orleans the day before Mardi Gras on Monday, February 15, 2021. (Photo by Chris Granger | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Southeast Louisiana has a wind chill warning through Tuesday noon, with New Orleans temperatures not rising above freezing until noon and hitting around 39 by 4 p.m. On the north coast, temperatures should only rise to just above freezing before falling again overnight.
Jefferson Parish officials on Monday urged residents to bring pets indoors, drain faucets, and wrap exposed pipes and vegetation. The community closed public parks and said garbage collection would be delayed.
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Jefferson Congregation President Cynthia Lee Sheng issued an emergency statement for the ward Monday as temperatures continued to drop.
The Arctic explosion is part of a system that brings snow, sleet and freezing temperatures over the continental United States. In Texas, the storm powered more than 2 million people.
Thousands were without power across Louisiana on Monday, mostly in the Baton Rouge area, where a mixture of rain and sleet covered the streets and tore down branches.
Interstate 10 between Baton Rouge and Lafayette was completely closed on Monday after a series of accidents overnight, including a pile-up of 14 vehicles that resulted in no injuries.
The New Orleans area should hit the low 60s by Ash Wednesday, but that left plenty of time for cold weather to cause disruption.
Tropical plants in a French Quarter courtyard near a statue of New Orleans actor Chris Owens, left, in Music Legends Park on Bourbon Street, are covered to protect them from the heavy winter storm that struck the day before Mardi Gras Comes to New Orleans on Monday February 15, 2021. (Photo by Chris Granger | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Ghassan Korban, executive director of the Sewage and Water Council, urged residents to pour a spaghetti-thin trickle of water into a single tap to prevent frozen pipes. He also recommended that residents wrap their exposed pipes in foam, newspaper, or some other covering to protect them as much as possible.
But even if these precautions are taken, given the temperatures, “it is very likely that we will see breaks across the city,” said Korban.
The city must issue a water boiling warning if the water pressure drops below 20 pounds per square inch. Korban said the recommendation will likely apply across the city if one is issued.
The utility also faces the challenge of a redundant power failure as two of its large turbines need to be repaired. It relies on two backup generators to provide an additional 4 megawatts of power, but redundancy remains an issue, he said.
An empty restaurant terrace near lunchtime on a cold, wintry day in the French Quarter of New Orleans the day before Mardi Gras on Monday, February 15, 2021. (Photo by Chris Granger | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
New Orleans has activated its homeless freeze plan, with shelters across the community taking in homeless residents. Officials urged residents not to provide tents to homeless residents as they trap moisture and do little to alleviate the dangerously cold temperatures.
Cantrell also warned local residents of the “real danger” of blackouts due to the weather.
“We want people to stay warm and be careful about how you get your heat source,” she said.
Staff authors Mark Schleifstein and Lea Skene and Associate Press contributed to this report.
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