City Of Louisville: City Leaders Prepare For Winter Storm Landon; Severe Weather Event Could Bring Ice, Snow And Power Outages

Louisville KY

03 February, 2022

5:25 PM

Description

Press release from the City of Louisville: February 02, 2022 Call the LOU HEALTH helpline 502-912-8598.  Look for this logo in the lower right corner on every page and click it. Mayor Greg Fischer today joined National Weather Service's Meteorologist-in-Charge John Gordon, Public Works Director Vanessa Burns, JCPS Chief Operations Officer Chris Perkins, Natasha Collins with LG&E, Major Bobby Cooper with the Louisville Division of Fire, and Emergency Services Director Jody Meiman to provide an update on the city's response to the upcoming winter storm. The National Weather Service (NWS) reports the city could receive moderate to heavy rainfall today into Thursday, with precipitation transitioning to a wintry mix. Significant accumulations of ice and sleet will be possible into Friday morning. Power outages and tree damage will be possible due to freezing rain. The storm could bring difficult to impossible travel conditions Thursday into Friday morning. According to the NWS, rain will transition to a wintry mix of freezing rain on Thursday and then transition to snow Friday morning, with up to 1-2 inches of snow predicted. A swath of significant ice accumulations of .25 - .50 inches are likely across the area, locally higher between the Ohio River and the Parkways. LATEST NEWS "This incoming weather could create dangerous road conditions with a significant accumulation of ice, freezing rain, and snow. That's why I'm asking residents to stay off the roads and for essential workers to take extra precautions if they must travel," said the Mayor. "Our goal, first and foremost, is to keep the public safe." Due to heavy rain expected before the freezing rain, the Metro Snow Team will not be able to pre-treat the roads with brine or other materials. However, they will be on standby and will begin applying salt as soon as it is feasible before the freezing rain comes. Drivers are asked to use caution, allow themselves extra time to reach their destinations, and allow plows room to work.   The multi-agency Snow Team is led by Metro Public Works under the leadership of Director Vanessa Burns and Assistant Director Brian Funk, and is a partnership among Public Works' Roads & Operations, Solid Waste Management Services and Signs & Markings Divisions. Metro Parks, the Department of Codes & Regulations, and the Department of Fleet Services are also part of the team. "Our department and partner agencies are trained to handle the snow and ice," said Burns. "Shifts have been planned for the duration of the event to minimize its impact, and keep our staff and our roadways safe." To stay informed on the Snow Team's progress, click on the METRO SNOW MAP https://www.lojic.org/snow-map Louisville Division of Fire The Louisville Division of Fire reminds residents to use safety precautions when heating their homes, as it is the second-leading cause for house fires. LFD recommends the following safety tips: Generators: Do not use generators indoors or inside attached garages and remember to keep them at least 10 feet away from the home. When fueling the generator, make sure the engine is stopped, always use the recommended type of fuel and allow it to cool down for at least 15 minutes before refueling and 30 minutes after prolonged use. Carbon Monoxide: Never warm a vehicle in a closed garage; clear snow from outdoor vents and frequently test carbon monoxide detectors. Always use gas-burning ovens and stoves appropriately and never use them to heat a residence. Space heaters: Make sure your heaters meet the industry's testing standards and have built-in safety features, like an automatic shut off or an overheat shut off feature. Do not use if the electrical cord is damaged, always unplug when leaving the room or going to bed and remember to keep space heaters at least 3 feet away from any combustibles, draperies or furniture. Downed trees and power lines: DO NOT handle any telephone, cable, or electrical lines, as they may be electrically charged; and DO NOT attempt to move or go near tree limbs on your home or near electrical lines, as they may be charged. When using a fireplace: Make sure it has been serviced by a certified technician and keep fires small. Always make sure the flue is in working condition and use a screen to keep embers and sparks inside the fireplace. Candles: Flashlights and battery-operated candles are recommended for emergency lighting. If you are using real candles, be sure they are in a sturdy non-combustible container, keep them clear of combustibles and never leave them unattended. Be sure to extinguish candles before leaving the home or going to sleep. Vulnerable residents Operation White Flag goes into effect when the temperature or the wind chill is below 35 degrees. All persons needing shelter can stay at the participating shelters while weather conditions persist.   The participating Operation White Flag shelters include: Wayside Christian Mission (accepts cats and dogs), 432 E. Jefferson St. Vincent de Paul (for men only), 1034 S. Jackson St. Salvation Army Center (day shelter only), 911 S. Brook St. "Our Office of Resilience and Community Services has been in touch with our local shelters and shelter space is available," said the Mayor. To locate the nearest shelter and to reserve a bed, residents also can call the Single Point of Entry (SPE) line at (502) 637-2337. SPE walk ups are available 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The city's Meals on Wheels frozen meal deliveries are scheduled for normal delivery on Thursday and will be suspended on Friday. Senior Nutrition congregate sites will be closed on both Thursday and Friday. Homebound seniors continue to be contacted by the city's Office of Resilience and Community Services staff for health check-ins and to check food supply.  Drop-off locations for the Eviction Prevention, Metro Utility Assistance and the LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) and LIHWAP (Low Income Home Water Assistance Program) programs are scheduled to be open for normal operations.   LMPD Due to weather conditions, LMPD will be responding to motor vehicle collisions when there is a report of injury, or the roadway is blocked. LMPD is asking motorists to exchange information such as names, addresses, and auto insurance. LMPD also requests that motorists go to the following link https://www.louisville-police.org/337/Report-an-Accident to report a non-injury accident.   COVID-19 testing sites Bluewater Diagnostics' mass testing site at Churchill Downs will be closed Thursday, Feb. 3. UofL Health's drive thru testing site at Brook and Liberty streets will be closing at noon on Feb. 3. UofL Health will have a delayed opening of 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 4.   Many testing providers may be closing early or changing operations due to the weather. Please check their websites or call ahead for the most up to date information.   Utilities LG&E reminds everyone to stay away from fallen lines and treat them as dangerous live wires. LG&E customers should call (502) 589-1444 to notify the utilities of the location of any downed powerlines. Customers can view the utilities' online outage map and report outages from the LG&E and KU app or online at lge-ku.com. Residents can also report an outage by using Outage Texting or the utilities' automated phone system.   Louisville Water reminds homeowners to take precautions to prevent their pipes from bursting – wrap exposed pipes with an insulating material, tag outdoor water shut-off valve, cover crawl spaces and outside vents, keep garage doors closed and run a small steady stream of water from a cold-water faucet.   Sidewalks Homeowners are reminded that they are responsible to shovel the sidewalk in front of a house they own or rent within a timely matter of 24 hours. This includes keeping the area free of all overhanging trees, shrubs, and other debris that block walkways.   TARC All TARC routes will operate on winter weather detours Thursday, Feb. 3. Riders should visit ridetarc.org and click on the red banner for a list of winter detours listed by route: https://www.ridetarc.org/winter-weather-detours.   TARC will also notify riders about the status of winter weather detours via Facebook (facebook.com/ridetarc) and Twitter (twitter.com/ridetarc). Riders can receive text or email notifications for routes by subscribing to Rider Alerts at ridetarc.org (https://www.ridetarc.org/subscribe), or simply call TARC's customer service line at (502) 585-1234 for current status of routes and detours. Animal Services Louisville Metro Animal Services' (LMAS) Animal House Adoption Center will be closed Thursday, Feb. 3. LMAS is reminding residents to contact animal control to report pets left outside without proper shelter. If residents are unsure whether to place a service request, they are encouraged to contact animal control to discuss options with an officer at 502-473-PETS or by email at [email protected]. During the hours of 9:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. please call MetroSafe at 502-574-2111 to report animals left outside without proper shelter. Zoo The Louisville Zoo will be closed to the public Thursday, Feb. 3. Staff will be on-site caring for and feeding the animals. Enter required fields How do you want to be reminded? (Street Sweeping requires at least an email) Reminders are sent on the Sunday before and the Friday of your Junk Set Out date. * is required. By subscribing to this reminder service you agree to the Terms of Use. To unsubscribe go to Gov Delivery. Enter your address and MyLouisville will find nearby city services in the following categories: Find your garbage, recycling, yard waste and large-item set-out dates. Sign up for large-item set out and street sweeping reminders by email and text! No form has been selected. Popular Pages Popular Tools This press release was produced by the City of Louisville. The views expressed here are the author's own.