LCG officials gave an update on storm preps today.
They emphasized safety: Stay inside, stay off the roads, check on your family, friends and neighbors to be sure everyone is warm. Pets should be inside. Wrap sensitive plants and bring potted plants inside. Be careful with heating sources and generators, to avoid fire and carbon monoxide poisoning.
With lots of talk of safety and being prepared, Mayor-President Monique Blanco Boulet did issue a playful challenge to residents to have a good time building a fun snowman.
Here are some high points they covered:
- AWS and WM will not be picking up trash tomorrow; and the remainder of the week is day-by-day
- City-Parish offices will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
- Emergency personnel will close streets as they're deemed unsafe and unpassable; lafayettela.gov/roadclosures
- Asking everyone to stock up today so the roads can be free for emergency and vital trips tomorrow.
- Dupuis Center at Brown Park on Pont des Mouton Road is open as a warming shelter; they can accommodate pets for people who have them. It's open for folks who have no place to go or who don't have adequate heat.
- ARCH, Catholic Charities and Second Harvest Food Bank are helping with the shelter, "we could not do it without them." You can make your donations of blankets, clothing, hygeine products to the ARCH ShareHouse is located behind the ARCH office at 211-A Guilbeau Road.
- If you need to get to the shelter, all bus fares have been suspended for folks who need a ride; call 211 for a bus to pick you up. There's also a dedicated bus running from St. Joseph's Diner. This will continue as long as possible, it's best to prepare in advance.
- Water systems in Youngsville, Broussard and Milton already are seeing low water pressures; they're asking residents not to drip their faucets.
- For emergencies, call 911. To report outages or tree limbs down, call 311. To get transportation to a shelter, call 211.
- Roads are expected to become impassable Tuesday afternoon, so plan accordingly.
- The Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office has specialized transportation but will not be able to respond with the usual speed.
- If you're stuck on an icy road, reduce speed, avoid overpasses/bridges, increase following distance, don't use cruise control and brake slowly and gently.
- Roads are not going to be what you're used to; barricades may go up - don't go around them.
- If power goes out and you see a downed line, assume it is live and report via 311 or 911 and they'll put up barricades.
- As of Monday there are no curfews; they're hoping the public will heed the warnings.
- LPD has added two squads just to monitor ice on bridges and roads.
- Crossing the river will be an issue, probably only access will be on the Thruway.
- If you're going to use a generator, make sure it's outside and well-ventilated.
- Make sure all flammable liquids are stored outside.
- Using fireplace: make sure you don't have anything nearby that can catch fire.
- Don't use your stove/oven to warm your home. If you have to, make sure you've cracked your windows to have fresh air coming inside.
- Electric space heaters should not be plugged into extension cord. Could cause a fire.
- If you smell something not right, call the fire department or 911 to come check.
- Public Works crews started pre-treating bridges. But by Tuesday there will be a significant impact to the road system.
- Limit traffic to emergencies only.
- Normal transportation will not run on Tuesday or Wednesday
- Will keep transit working for shelter as long as possible. If you need to go to the shelter, go today.
- Drops in water pressure are happening across parish water systems. It's drawing down the pressures on the system and impacts public health/facility.
- Asking residents: please don't drip your fauctets.
- Extra crews and personnel are being brought in for power outages on Tuesday and Wednesday; they will move as quickly as possible to restore services.
Here's the full presser:
