Re: Winter storm Warning in effect for New Orleans, Baton Rouge, southeastern Louisiana
New Orleans
Winter Weather Information
Winter Weather Advisory
Tuesday, January 28, 2014 - City officials are monitoring incoming weather and will provide updates throughout the next days. Click on links at the right for recent City service and other updates.For information on prepare for winter weather, please see Winter Weather Safety Information below.
Winter Weather Safety Information
Stay Inside
- Do not drive or walk around outside until all the ice is gone
- Cancel any appointments (hair, doctor, etc.) you may have
- Wear layers, hat, and gloves
- Carry a cell phone
- Sprinkle cat litter or sand on icy patches
- If your car gets stuck, stay in your car and call for help
Shelter In Place
- Have enough drinking water for your household for at least 48 hours (you should have 1 gallon per person per day)
- Have enough food for your family for 48 hours. Make sure to have food you don?t have to cook in the event of a power outage
- Make sure you have plenty of warm blankets
- Prepare an Emergency Kit
- Flashlight
- Portable radio
- Batteries
- List of emergency phone numbers and family contact numbers
- First aid kit
- Prescription and over the counter medications
- Baby supplies such as diapers and formula
- Pet supplies
- Entertainment, like books, magazines, games, etc.
- Keep your house warmer by closing doors to rooms you are not using
Generator & Space Heater Safety
- Make sure your generator is working and that there is enough gasoline to keep it running in the event of a power outage
- Keep running generators outdoors at least 20 feet away from any buildings
- Keep heaters at least 3 feet from anything that could catch on fire
- Never place a heater on top of anything (furniture, boxes, etc.)
- Do not let children be by the space heater or in the same room as the space heater without an adult in the room
- Make sure the cord is in a safe place and won?t make people trip
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
If you or someone in your house loses consciousness, has a headache that won?t go away, has dizziness, weakness, chest pain, or confusion, s/he may have carbon monoxide poisoning. CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY
Freezing Pipes
- Keep a slow stream of water running from all your faucets to avoid your pipes from freezing
- Cover exposed pipes
- Open cabinets to help warm the pipes
- Use a blow dryer to unfreeze pipes
Make sure neighbors and family know to prepare for winter weather. In case of life-threatening emergencies, always call 911.
Latest Alerts & Updates
Updated January 28, 2014 at 10:07 AM
Trash & Recycling Pickup Suspended Tuesday & Wednesday
Regular garbage and recycling pickups have been suspended for Tuesday, January 28 and Wednesday, January 29, 2014.
Read more
Updated January 28, 2014 at 9:52 AM
City Hall Closure
City Hall will be closed Tuesday, January 28 and Wednesday, January 29.
Read more
Updated January 28, 2014 at 10:09 AM
NOLA 311 Operating 24 Hours a Day
As of 8:00am on Tuesday, January 28, 2014, NOLA 311 will operate 24 hours a day until further notice. Residents are encouraged to call NOLA 311 for general winter storm-related information and to report non-life threatening emergencies including downed tree limbs. For downed power lines, call 911.
Read more
Updated January 28, 2014 at 10:06 AM
Entergy & Power Outages
According to Entergy, it has activated its emergency response center and is assembling a team of more than 2,100 restoration workers, some who are currently working in this area and the remainder being deployed to south Louisiana in anticipation of ice-related outages.
Read more
Updated January 28, 2014 at 10:05 AM
Sewerage and Water Board Closure
All 24 Sewerage and Water Board drainage pump stations are 100% operational. The Sewerage and Water Board?s offices will be closed Tuesday, January 28 and Wednesday, January 29, 2014 but its call center will remain operational. In the case of emergency, residents are encouraged to call Sewerage and Water Board?s emergency line at 504-529-2837 (504-52WATER).
Read more
Updated January 28, 2014 at 9:40 AM
Homeless Shelters Open
The City's Freeze Plan is in effect to provide temporary shelter for homeless citizens.
Persons needing shelter will be accepted at the following locations under the following conditions:
Read more
Updated January 28, 2014 at 9:52 AM
Dialysis and Community Health Center Closures
As of 6am on Tuesday, January 28, the following Dialysis and Community Health Centers will be closed for the day.
Read more
Updated January 28, 2014 at 10:10 AM
Important Phone Numbers to Know
For life threatening emergencies, call 911.
- To report a non-life threatening problem or to get information, call 311
- For real-time traffic and road condition, call 511
- Report downed traffic signals, call 504-821-2222
- Sewerage and Water Boards 24/7 line, call 504-529-2837
- To report power outages, call 1-800-968-8243 (1-800-9OUTAGE)
To report water emergencies, call 504-529-2837 (504-52WATER)
Read more
Updated January 28, 2014 at 10:23 AM
Mental Health Resources Available
The Metropolitan Human Service District's clinics are closed today and tomorrow. The Metropolitan Crisis Response Team (MCRT) 504-826-2675 is operating and will continue to do so throughout the week. Citizens who need mental health assistance can call the MCRT team for aid.
Read more
Updated January 28, 2014 at 9:57 AM
Monday Press Conference Update
View Monday's press conference update with information from Mayor Landrieu and City officials here:
Read more
http://www.nola.gov/ready/winter/
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<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=news-release-date-text colSpan=2>January 27, 2014 <!-- News Release Date -->
For Immediate Release
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=news-release-contact-title-text vAlign=top>Contact: </TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD class=news-release-contact-one-text vAlign=top><!-- Contact One -->Yolanda Pollard
Entergy
ypollar@entergy.com
<!-- Contact One -->
</TD><TD class=news-release-contact-two-text vAlign=top><!-- Contact Two --><!-- Contact Two --></TD></TR><TR><TD class=news-release-contact-three-text vAlign=top><!-- Contact Three --><!-- Contact Three --></TD><TD class=news-release-contact-four-text vAlign=top><!-- Contact Four --><!-- Contact Four --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><TD class=news-release-graphic-logo vAlign=top>
<!-- Graphic --><!-- Graphic --></TD></TR><TR><TD class=news-release-headline colSpan=2><!-- News Headline -->
Entergy Prepares for Winter Weather </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
...
?The impact of ice storms is very difficult to predict, but forecasts indicate the approaching weather system could be one of the most challenging the region has seen in years. Power outage restoration may extend into 3 to 5 days for some customers, depending on the severity of the damage. Ice storms can pose a significant threat to an electric system, and extreme cold weather can present additional challenges and require a different ? and often slower ? restoration process,? said Dennis Dawsey, vice president of customer service for Entergy?s Louisiana utilities. ?We?re leaving nothing to chance. We are assembling a team of more than 2,100 restoration workers, some currently working in this area and the remainder being deployed to south Louisiana tonight and tomorrow morning in anticipation of ice related outages.?
Entergy officials have been working with the company?s weather vendors in advance of the storm to better understand the potential risk and prepare accordingly.
?We model anticipated damage and have opened local command centers, are stocking up on needed materials, readying our trucks for driving on snow and ice, organizing the manpower and arranging for food and lodging for the crews,? said Dawsey. ?It?s an enormous undertaking, but part of the job. As always, we plan for the worst and hope for the best.?
Make Safety the First Priority
As with any storm, safety is always our first priority and we want it to be yours too. We urge customers to monitor the weather and prepare to implement their own winter storm plans. Customers are encouraged to download Entergy?s mobile app to access outage maps and information. In addition, storm-preparedness tips and online services are available to customers through ?
Entergy Storm Center.?
The following tips should be helpful for individuals in the path of a winter storm:
- Live wires can be deadly. Stay away from downed power lines. Call 1-800-9OUTAGE (1-800-968-8243) to report downed or dangling power lines, poles or other damaged equipment.
- Don?t trim trees or remove debris on or near downed power lines. Only power company crews or their contractors should remove trees or limbs touching power lines.
- Keep away from the immediate areas where crews are working. There is always the danger of moving equipment and the possibility of construction materials or limbs or overhead wires falling to the ground.
- If you plan on using a generator for temporary power, get a licensed electrician and disconnect from the utility electric system before hooking up to your home main electric panel.
- Do not run a generator in a confined space without adequate ventilation.
- Make sure to review gas safety tips.
- Don?t use candles or other flammable devices to warm your home.
- Check on seniors, who can be particularly susceptible to extreme temperatures.
- Try to stay off the roads. More traffic in bad weather leads to more accidents, including more injuries and fatalities as well as accidents that can damage electrical poles and other equipment, creating outages and impeding crews? ability to access and repair damage and slowing restoration.
Prepare for Extreme Cold Restoration Challenges
Whether an outage is caused directly by the temperatures, the ice accumulation or something else like a downed pole, restoration becomes more complex in an extreme cold weather event because of the different way customers are restored once any needed repairs are made. There are certain steps electric utilities must take to ensure power is restored safely and reliably, and there are steps customers can take to help as well. The weather predicted to affect some of the Entergy utility service areas starting Tuesday could bring not only extreme cold, but the challenge of ice accumulation, too.
?We use a methodical and calculated process in bringing customers back online after an outage in very cold weather,? explained Dawsey. ?We have recently had some outages that were specifically weather-related, for example when winds blew debris onto lines or damaged electrical equipment, and other scattered outages across the state for a variety of reasons. But what our customers may notice is that if an outage occurs, regardless of the cause, restoration follows a different process during extreme cold weather events.
?Rather than simply energizing an entire power line all at once, we are forced to bring customers back online one section at a time to avoid damage to our system and make the situation worse.?
Customers experiencing an outage during times of extreme cold should turn off their electric heating systems, lights and appliances during the outage and then, after power has been restored, turn them back on one at a time, over a period of time to help avoid a sudden power surge. For example, if you have an electric heating system, start by setting your thermostat to 65...
http://www.entergy.com/news_room/newsrelease.aspx?NR_ID=2846
