LAFAYETTE, La. — Winter weather might be coming to Acadiana—emphasis on the word "might."
You may have heard about some possible freezing conditions in the coming week. I sat down with a representative of the Department of Transportation and Development in Lafayette to talk about how they handle possible weather conditions.
"As of right now, it's still too early for us to determine what, if any, type of precipitation we may see for this area, but regardless, we're still making sure that we're prepared, and we're ready to address it if we do see it," said Deidra Druilhet
My first tip to you is not to panic. Our meteorologists say freezing weather conditions are not guaranteed for Acadiana, but some precautions have already been taken.
"One thing that people may not realize about our state agency is that we don't wait until we hear about the possibility of any type of severe weather coming to the area," Druilhet said. "We are actually prepping all year-round for any type of severe weather scenario, whether it's heavy rain, snow, ice, any type of wintery mix, any possible tropical storms, hurricane-related. We're preparing year-round."
This includes checking all the equipment so that, if the time comes, there are no setbacks in the DOTD's course of action.
"Monitoring that weather to see how we want to go ahead and dispatch our personnel. They're going to be monitoring the routes. They're going to paying close attention to those overpasses, those elevated structures, the bridges that we have out there," Druilhet said. "There's an opportunity, also, for our crews to do some pre-treatment work, so that they can put some pre-treatment agents down that will help with any type of extreme cold weather, precipitation that we may see as a result of that extreme cold weather."
But if we do experience freezing roads, here are a few tips on how to navigate them safely.
"Know before you go. There are lots of resources that are out there that can help people plan their routes before they head out the door. Of course, DOTD, we do have our 511 map. They can go to 511.la.org. It's a great resource so that they can see if there are any impacts or roadways, whether if we have a lane closure, road closure, anything of that nature," Druilhet said. "Give yourself enough time to get where you need to go."
Speed limits aren't really made for freezing weather conditions.
"Remember, those speed limits are typically set under ideal weather conditions, so when you're having those extreme cold temperatures that we're anticipated to receive here in Acadiana region, we want to make sure that people, of course, are giving themself enough time but also decreasing that speed limit quite a bit, you know. We want everyone to be safe," Druilhet said. "The other thing is, make sure there is enough room between yourself and the car in front of you, behind you or around you, and of course, don't drive distracted."
Druilhet says the best thing is not to drive if you don't have to, but that may not be possible for everyone, so if at any point you must drive in freezing conditions, be sure to follow these key tips, and stay safe, Acadiana.
