Forecast Calls For Coldest Temps In Three Decades
This week’s below freezing temperatures caused a pipe to burst on this faucet located in the Oak Hill Cemetery. The frozen pipe thawed just enough Tuesday afternoon to create a spray which caused an ice patch to form on the hillside. – Photo by Jack Gurner
Staff Report
YALOBUSHA – Baby, it’s cold outside. And, it’s expected to get colder before the end of the week, according to the National Weather Service.
Snow is in the forecast for Wednesday night through Thursday with scattered flurries Friday. Temperatures are expected to fall to 7 degrees overnight Friday in the area.
“With the single digit temperature, the wind chill factor could be as much as five or 10 degrees below 0,” Civil Defense Director Frank Hyde told the Herald. Hyde reported that he had been on a conference call with the National Weather Service Tuesday, and officials across the state were preparing for the arctic blast.
“Forecasters are predicting that the weather will not get above freezing until Monday,” Hyde added. With the cold weather, he urged Yalobushians to take precautions for potential fire hazards.
“Chimneys can be a danger, as well as overloaded electrical circuits,” Hyde noted. “Everyone also needs to check their smoke detectors and make sure they are working.”
Water Valley Mayor Larry Hart urged residents to keep a check on family and friends. “Cold weather can be especially rough on older people,” he said.
“We could see the coldest temperatures in 30 years this week,” said Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Executive Director Mike Womack. “This is one of those emergencies we can see coming and people should prepare themselves.”
MEMA offers the following tips for people to protect themselves from freezing temperatures:
• Wear several layers of loose fitting, lightweight, warm clothing rather than one layer of heavy clothing.
• Wear mittens, they are warmer than gloves.
• Wear a hat, body heat is lost through your head.
• Know ahead of time what you should do to help elderly or disabled friends, neighbors or employees.
• Bring pets inside.
• Watch for signs of hypothermia. These include uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness, and apparent exhaustion.
And to protect your home.
• Winterize your home to extend the life of your fuel supply by insulating walls and attics, caulking and weather-stripping doors and windows, and installing storm windows or covering windows with plastic.
• Keep fire extinguishers on hand, and make sure everyone in your house knows how to use them. House fires pose an additional risk, as more people turn to alternate heating sources without taking the necessary safety precautions.
• Insulate pipes with insulation or newspapers and plastic and allow faucets to drip a little during cold weather to avoid freezing. Also keep cabinet doors open to allow heat to reach pipes.
• Learn how to shut off water valves (in case a pipe bursts).
• If the pipes freeze, remove any insulation or layers of newspapers and wrap pipes in rags. Completely open all faucets and pour hot water over the pipes, starting where they were most exposed to the cold (or where the cold was most likely to penetrate).
