The US is still gripped by cold weather as Memphis deals with broken water pipes
Memphis Water System in the Cold Weather After a Friday Slambding into the U.S. On Sunday, McGowen Revisited
The end of the subzero temperatures that slammed 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 Monday.
Memphis was the largest water system in Tennessee and it had some problems from the cold weather. According to the Emergency Management Agency, there are 28 water systems issuing boil water notices.
Memphis Light, Gas and Water President and CEO Doug McGowen said in a video posted to social media on Saturday evening that he hopes to have an estimate of when pressure will be restored on Sunday afternoon.
Memphis Light, Gas and Water was repairing 10 water main breaks on Sunday afternoon, and 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 residential students home on Saturday and moving those who could not return home to hotels. The school was planning virtual classes on Monday and Tuesday.
The City of Tipton, Oklahoma, Surroundings is Dominated by Snow and Icy Rain for a High-Wind Temperature Summer Break
The junior majoring in politics, philosophy and economics decided to go back home to Nashville instead of staying at a hotel where he would still have to boil water.
He told us about the situation in his dormitory, in which the faucets stopped working, the showers were not working well, and there were no restrooms on the floor.
He said the school was doing everything they could to accommodate everyone. There are people who are without water in the city that can’t stay at a hotel.
In Tipton County, the fire department in Mason warned residents on Saturday to be prepared for a multiday water outage. Firefighters were helping to distribute bottled water to residents throughout the town of 1,300 residents.
Fire officials said in a Facebook post that water crews were working at all hours to try to isolate and repair leaks. If the fire is needed, there still remains enough water to operate the fire hydrants.
The National Weather Service said traveling in parts of Kansas and Oklahoma would be difficult because of icy rain, sleet and high wind gusts. In some parts, the wind chill felt like minus 20 degrees.
The weather service says a steady warm-up is in store for the mid-section of the country thanks to the lack of air replenishment from Canada.
New York City Ice Breakout and the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park: Snow Flows and Elm Trees in the Columbia River Gorge
The Buffalo Bills are in western New York, where the game against the Kansas City Chiefs is being played, with temperatures forecast around 20 degrees and winds around 10 mph. On Friday and Saturday, hundreds of people showed up at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park to help shovel snow out of the stands for the second week in a row, earning $20 an hour.
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 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. Falling ice will remain a hazard as well.
The National Weather Service reported there was a chance of up to 2.5 inches of rain across the area’s foothills through Monday night.
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.
Young skiers were braved the cold as they competed in northern New Hampshire in spite of the single digit temperatures in Vermont. Police said that 23 skiers and snowboarders had to be pulled out of the wilderness in Vermont on Saturday.
Just south in Mississippi, the state’s Emergency Management Agency said Sunday that 11 people have died of causes related to frigid weather since Jan. 14.
The Water Problem and the Status of the Town’s Restaurants and Bars: A Mayor’s Perspective on a “Hot Water System”
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 need of updates.
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.
“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. “We think that would be a Thursday for lifting the boil water advisory if the results are good.”
