NEW ORLEANS — While boil advisories are not exactly rare in New Orleans, they do not often impact as many people as the one announced Tuesday night. A day later, the impact was clear, as grocery store water aisles became sparse and local businesses posted signs warning customers of limited menus.
“It’s pretty inconvenient, for sure,” said Bob McCleskey, who spoke to WWL Louisiana in the parking lot of the Rouses on Tchoupitoulas Street Wednesday. He, and many others, left the store with flats of bottled water Wednesday. Others filled large jugs at a machine outside the store.
Cell phone video from a different New Orleans grocery store Wednesday morning showed shelves that were mostly empty of water. It was taken less than 24 hours after the advisory was issued.
The city’s thousand-plus restaurants also rushed to buy water and ice on Wednesday. “It was an absolute scramble this morning,” said Matt Tifft, a Team Member at Molly’s Rise and Shine on Magazine Street. The store opened late with a limited drink menu.
“No soda drinks right now, no iced tea– in the New Orleans summer that’s a big one, that’s a big loss,” said Tifft, “we’re doing the hot coffee right now, kind of at your own risk.”
He pointed out that this time of year is already a slow season for New Orleans’ hospitality and leisure industry, which employs about 15% of the city. “In the summer things are so slow, all the time you lose is time you have to make up somehow,” he said.
Those restaurants, bars, hotels, and cafes will likely face another business day under the advisory. The Sewerage and Water Board sent an update Wednesday afternoon, saying it is expected to last until at least Thursday afternoon.
“It’s tiresome, it’s inconvenient, but it’s just one of the other poor quality-of-life issues we have in the city,” said McCleskey.
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