NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Police Department announced that they are working with New Orleans Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness (NOHSEP), DOTD, and Louisiana State Police to prepare for the potential of visibility issues on Interstate 10 in New Orleans East Wednesday morning.
NOPD says they will deploy extra traffic units and patrol officers to monitor conditions overnight and keep roadways safe. State Police will also have additional units ready.
DOTD will begin monitoring conditions at 3:30 a.m.
There is a Dense Fog Advisory for much of southeast Louisiana Wednesday from 1 a.m. until 10 a.m. with a spotlight on the same area in New Orleans East that saw impacts Tuesday. There is a chance that the smoke from wildfires in the New Orleans East area along with fog, could have visibility as low as 100 feet.
NOPD said that "if needed, I-10 will be closed as a precaution in affected areas." Barricades and extra flares are being positioned in an abundance of caution, according to NOPD.
Police are asking commuters, businesses, and schools to consider later start times tomorrow morning in order to let the fog/smoke dissipate.
Here are Safety Tips from NOPD:
- If you encounter low to no visibility- report it by calling 911
- Slow down if conditions do become foggy and if visibility worsens, get off the interstate if possible until conditions clear
- Limit Distractions and keep your eyes on the road
- Turn off the automatic settings and turn headlights to 'on' position
- Don't drive with your hazard lights or high beams on
- Pull over to the shoulder as a last resort- do not stop in the middle of the road/interstate
On Tuesday, drivers reported visibility changing dramatically in a short distance in the Irish Bayou area. A couple of multi-vehicle crashes closed I-10 in both directions for a time and there was a fatality.
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