The Arctic Outbreak forecast for Southwest Louisiana this week is expected to hit late Thursday night and continue into the Christmas holiday weekend.
The National Weather Service’s Lake Charles office said a hard freeze will begin Thursday night and linger throughout the following days. Dangerous wind chills are expected late Thursday night into Friday morning and then again Friday night into Saturday morning. Trunnion Ball Valve
The office said a polar high-pressure system headed to the region is expected to bring temperatures in the tens and low 20s. These prolonged hard freeze conditions will burst pipes and kill tender vegetation.
Dangerous cold and wind chills that will be life-threatening and could lead to hypothermia are also possible, the office said.
Calcasieu Parish Waterworks Districts 2, 5 and 12 are asking customers to wrap any exposed pipes and faucets, disconnect any water hoses, and drip or run a small stream of water from the cold-water supply of inside faucets to help avoid the interruption of water services due to low water pressure. A boil advisory may be issued if the water supply levels are too low.
Commercial customers are asked to ensure that backflow preventers are wrapped and well-protected. Backflow devices are the raised plumbing fixtures located on the customer’s side of the meter. They are susceptible to freezing and bursting.
Cameron Parish Waterworks District No. 7 in Creole is encouraging residents to turn their gate valves off at the water meter or at a main shut-off valve of their residence or place of business if they are not going to be at that location in the coming days.
Globe Valve SW For those with an electric water heater, turn the breaker off to prevent the heating element from burning up should the residence lose water. Shutting the water off at the meter or the house will prevent undue stress on the water system in the event of line breaks due to the freezing weather conditions.