Kenner tied their record low this morning 0f 25 with Slidell dropping to 21. As expected, there were some who had busted water pipes due to the lack of preparedness for this freeze. It was well advertised for days and we (many of our bloggers) explained what you needed to do to keep the water flowing. Nobody should have said…”I didn’t know it would be this bad.” However, in a story on FOX 8, one fella explained that he moved here from San Diego 3 years ago and really didn’t know we had these kinds of issues with freezing temperatures. He said his main concern was dealing with “110 degree temperatures with 100% humidity”! OK, I can cut this guy some slack since this was his 1st freeze and he really had no previous experiences dealing with severe cold. But, in the same thinking, if I were to move to San Diego & an earthquake happened and I didn’t buy earthquake insurance, could I plead ignorance? I think not. If I move to Oklahoma City, should I get knowledgeable about tornadoes? Same reasoning, If I move to Boston, shouldn’t I educate myself regarding blizzards? Fortunately, this fella is only out a couple of hundred dollars for pipe repair. Here’s what bothers me…how many folks have moved here since Katrina, since Isaac? We probably have thousands who have zero hurricane experience. What’s gonna happen when the next major storm threatens? Hopefully these “newbies” will listen to the local weathercasters & emergency managers and follow their advice. Choosing not to could result in way more than just a costly home repair. One could pay with their life as happened in Katrina.
A cloud deck has moved over us tonight and it could bring some sleet or snowflakes after midnight to areas south of the Lake. That cloud deck should help keep temps from getting as cold as last night but full freeze precautions remain in effect. I dripped water from 2 inside faucets last night and I’ll do the same tonight. In fact, tomorrow night-Thursday morning could be the coldest IF we have clear skies & light winds. We will see a warm up arrive over the weekend into early next week before a weaker cold front pushes through on Tuesday. Long range models are projecting a real January Thaw by the 14th for much of the Nation that could last into February before the cold returns. Mardi Gras is Feb. 13th this year. Perhaps the warming could last through then but that’s still many weeks away. Focus on the near term freezes that are coming for the next 2-3 mornings. Stay tuned!
If you are traveling to any of the big cities in the Northeast Wed-Friday, please be aware of a huge Nor’easter that could bury coastal sections and create travel problems.
No comments:
Post a Comment