NEW ORLEANS — A blast of Arctic cold weather is expected to hit Louisiana by Tuesday and bring dangerously cold temperatures according to WWL Louisiana meteorologists. That has the City of New Orleans to enact its citywide Freeze Plan.
The National Weather Service predicts that there will be several days of freezing temperatures next week, with hard freezes possible on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Temperatures, at their lowest, could be in the 20s and 30s, with several hours below freezing possible.
New Orleans officials urge residents to prepare for the cold weather by protecting the “four Ps” – people, pets, pipes, and plants.
UTILITY DISCONNECTIONS SUSPENDED
Entergy New Orleans is prepared to respond as needed throughout the winter season and encourages customers to stay warm safely with these tips. Entergy New Orleans will temporarily suspend service disconnections from Jan. 16-18. Residents can call 1-800-ENTERGY to report outages.
The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) will also suspend shut-offs from Monday, Jan. 15 through Wednesday, Jan. 17.
RESOURCES FOR UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS
New Orleans Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (NOHSEP) is coordinating with the New Orleans Recreation Development (NORD) Commission to activate an “overnight warming center,” equipped with an emergency generator from Monday, Jan. 15 at 6 p.m. until Thursday, Jan. 18 at 9 a.m. for unhoused residents at the Rosenwald Recreation Center Annex Building 1140 S. Broad Avenue.
For more information and safety tips, visit ready.nola.gov. To receive up-to-date alerts, text “NOLAREADY” (one word) to 77295.
People in need of transportation to the overnight warming center should call 311.