An unusual and historic winter has kicked off the first month of the new year with freezing temperatures and icy conditions across Louisiana, leading to havoc and stress for its residents.
In preparation for the extreme weather, Gov. Jeff Landry signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency on Jan. 12, days before the harshest conditions were expected between Sunday, Jan. 14, and Wednesday, Jan. 17.
“We are encouraging everyone to prepare for these conditions and heed the advice of your local officials,” Landry said. “The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) stands ready to support our local emergency partners with any resources needed beyond their capabilities. Road crews are on standby in an attempt to keep our roads open.”
The anticipated freezing conditions appeared as expected and caused a multitude of problems around the Bayou State.
LSU canceled school on Tuesday and delayed its start time till 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday “due to the forecast of winter weather and icy conditions” said an email sent out by the university in order to keep its community safe from potential dangers. This was an effort undercut by the sudden flooding of Patrick F. Taylor Hall after an HVAC coil is suspected to have burst due to the cold weather a few hours after classes returned.
“The cold was really biting and I had to layer up a couple of times but I think over the two days it happened I was pretty safe,” said coastal environmental science freshman Allen Barchak.
The low temperatures broke records, including a high of 34 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday in Baton Rouge, 28 degrees below the usual high that calendar day for the past 30 years. The lowest temperature Tuesday was 19 degrees.
Alerts had been sent out including hard freeze warnings and a windy conditions advisory for the Baton Rouge area.
These freezing conditions led to multiple wrecks on Interstate-10, and the closure of all lanes from La-415 to the base of the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge in St. Martin Parish. The National Weather Service in New Orleans and Baton Rouge advised drivers to stay off the roads from Monday night to late Tuesday morning in southwest Louisiana due to black ice on roadways.
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development prepared for the icy roads with approximately 250,000 pounds of untreated salts on hand.
Major portions of I-10 from Lafayette to New Orleans were shut down beginning on the evening of Jan. 15, and smaller parts of Interstate-12 and Interstate-55 were shut down at times. All major bridges and roadways in the Baton Rouge area had reopened as of Tuesday evening.
The Baton Rouge Fire Department received calls ranging from accidents to fires, some of which were avoidable.
In one instance, building materials were brought into a home to make a fire in an attempt to stay warm, which then lost control, according to BRFD spokesperson Justin Hill.
The state recommends that when in freezing weather, to protect the 4 P’s: people, pets, pipes and plants.
LSU AgCenter horticulturist Heather Kirk-Ballard recommended through a video released on X (formerly Twitter) to cover tropical plants during the warmest part of the day to trap in the heat and create insulation and to water in the soil at the soil line, as water is an excellent insulator.
The cold weather also affected the fishing industry, causing a struggle for crawfish farmers. The cold weather causes a decrease in crawfish and a raise in prices, affecting not just the farmers, but local businesses that depend on this product during the spring season, a sign that the wintery effects of the last week will persist into the future.
