Sub-freezing conditions and treacherous roadways have contributed to dozens of deaths this month across the U.S., where States as far south as Texas and Florida remain gripped by deadly arctic weather on Sunday. But the numbing cold is expected to ease up in the coming days.
Nationally, winter storms have claimed at least 72 lives around the U.S. this January, many involving hypothermia or road accidents.
On Sunday, crews in Memphis, Tennessee, continued to work around the clock to find and fix broken pipes that were causing low water pressure throughout the system. Memphis Light, Gas and Water President and CEO Doug McGowen told reporters on Sunday that crews are making progress and he expects most of the 7,00,000 people depending on the utility services to have water restored over the next 24 hours.
“If we remain on this very positive path, and we are on a positive path, I believe that by Wednesday we will have pressure sufficient for us to take samples of our water system,” he said. “Assuming good results, we think that means a Thursday for lifting of the boil water advisory.”
Mr. McGowen also asked people to stop dripping their faucets to help build pressure in the system.
Water crisis
Memphis Light, Gas and Water was repairing 10 water main breaks on Sunday afternoon, and Mr. McGowen said he expects to see more as the ground continues to thaw. The utility said it previously repaired 41 broken water mains and located more than 4,000 leaks at homes and businesses.
Rhodes College, in Memphis, began sending students living there home on Saturday and moving those who could not return home to hotels. The school was planning virtual classes on Monday and Tuesday.
“We ask that you NOT come to campus either day due to the ongoing water situation and the hazards that creates,” the school announcement said.
Memphis was on its fourth day of living under a boil water notice on Monday, as repair crews worked to fix broken pipes in a bid to ease the stress caused by a week of sub-freezing temperatures, snow and ice on Jan. 22, 2024 | Photo Credit: AP
Sam Roth is a junior majoring in politics, philosophy and economics who drove back home to Nashville rather than staying in a hotel where he would still be required to boil water. “Our faucets stopped working, and they said not to use any of the restrooms on our floor, and our showers were not working very well either,” he said of the situation in his dormitory.
Restaurants and bars were using bottled water to serve customers on Sunday. Some restaurants remained closed, citing the water issue, while others had a modified menu.
Memphis was the largest, but not the only, water system in Tennessee to experience problems from the unusually cold weather. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said on Saturday night that 28 water systems have issued boil water notices.
In Tipton County, the fire department in Mason warned residents on Saturday to be prepared for a multi-day water outage. Fire officials said in a Facebook post that water crews were working at all hours to try to isolate and repair leaks. The mayor acknowledged in an interview with WMC-TV that the town has had water issues in the past due to a system that “nobody took care of for a long time” and is in need of updates.
“The whole town has been without water for five days,” said exasperated Mason resident Christina Ray. The fire department is handing out water throughout the town of 1,300 residents, but is limiting it to one case per day, per household. That’s not enough for her family, which was collecting snow to flush the toilets. “It is hard to cook. It is hard to flush toilets. It is hard to do dishes. We cannot wash laundry,” she said.
With warmer temperatures predicted this week, Ms. Ray now says she is faced with another worry: the potential of bursting pipes. The continued cold weather is also responsible for at least 27 deaths in Tennessee, according to the Tennessee Department of Health.
Just south in Mississippi, the State’s Emergency Management Agency said on Sunday that 11 persons have died of causes related to frigid weather since January 14. Elsewhere, freezing rain, sleet and high wind gusts later on Sunday would make travelling in parts of Kansas and Oklahoma particularly treacherous, the National Weather Service said. Wind chills in Iowa made it feel like minus 7 degree Celsius in some parts.
End in sight
But the end of subzero temperatures — which blasted into the U.S. on Friday — was in sight for parts of the country. The daily high temperatures in Iowa’s capital of Des Moines, for example, were expected to stay above freezing starting on Monday. “With no additional replenishment of Arctic air from Canada, a steady warm-up is in store for the mid-section of the country,” the weather service said.
On the West Coast, more freezing rain was forecast in the Columbia River Gorge and the area was expected to remain near or below freezing through at least on Sunday night. Trees and power lines already coated with ice could topple if they get more, the National Weather Service warned.
“Stay safe out there over the next several days as our region tries to thaw out,” the weather service said. “Chunks of falling ice will remain a hazard as well.” Heavy rain forecast for Southern California on Sunday and Monday prompted the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management to issue an evacuation warning near Topanga Canyon effective through Tuesday morning due to possible mud or debris flows.
