The cold snap is just a few hours away from hitting New Orleans, and Jefferson Parish officials are urging residents to use common sense during the weather event.
"Be aware of what you do before you do it," Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng said during a media briefing, quoting WWL's Tommy Tucker to providing that advice.
She urged drivers to plan out their routes if they intend to go anywhere during the freeze.
"What is the path to your destination? You're going to be traveling near canals. You're going to be traveling over bridges that might ice. Just be aware of that."
For people staying home, Sheng urged residents to observe fire safety by keeping heaters away from Christmas trees and other flammable objects.
"Do you have open hazards?" Sheng asked. "Are you placing a wrapped present by a Christmas tree or by a space heater, or open flames near toddlers? Just constantly be aware of what you're doing before you do it."
Sheng also urged residents to be mindful of water usage. She explained that a large number of people running their faucets to keep their pipes from freezing could have devastating impacts on the parish's water system.
"We as a community in Jefferson Parish have an aging water system that is susceptible to freezing temperatures," Sheng said. "The combination of the large potential water line breaks from freezing along with customers running continuous water in their homes to avoid freezing could result in millions of gallons of water lost."
That, according to Sheng, that could lead to broken pipes, lost water pressure, and boil advisories. Sheng says only people with homes lifted off the ground should drip their water to protect their pipes.
