Much of U.S. still in grip of bone-chilling Arctic weather
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Much of the U.S. remained gripped by deadly Arctic weather Sunday — with subfreezing conditions reaching as far south as Texas and Florida. But the numbing cold is expected to ease up in the coming days.
Nationally, winter storms this month have claimed at least 67 lives around the U.S., many involving hypothermia or road accidents.
On Sunday, crews in Memphis, Tennessee continued to work around the clock to find and fix broken pipes that were causing low water pressure throughout the system. Some residents have been without running water for days, and all of the utility’s 400,000 customers continued to be under a boil water notice.
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.
“Hang in there,” McGowen said. “Neighbors help neighbors.”
As of Saturday afternoon, the utility had repaired 36 broken water mains and more than 2,000 leaks in homes and businesses. As temperatures began to rise above freezing on Sunday, more leaks were expected to become apparent. McGowen asked residents to stop dripping faucets once things warmed up, a measure that would add 5 to 10 million gallons a day to the system and help restore water pressure.
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.
“We ask that you NOT come to campus either day due to the ongoing water situation and the hazards that creates,” the school announcement said.
Sam Roth is a junior majoring in politics, philosophy and economics who drove back home to Nashville rather than staying in a hotel where he would still be required to boil water.
“Our faucets stopped working, and they said not to use any of the restrooms on our floor, and our showers were not working very well either,” he said of the situation in his dormitory.
“It’s a little annoying, but the school’s doing everything they can to accommodate everyone,” he said. “I just feel worse for the people that are without water in the city that don’t have a hotel they can go stay at.”
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. Cafe Eclectic was open but
not serving drinks.
Memphis was the largest, but not the only, water system in Tennessee to experience problems from the unusually cold weather. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said on Saturday night that 28 water systems have issued boil water notices.
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. The department said that there remains enough water pressure to operate fire hydrants if they are needed for firefighting.
The mayor acknowledged in an interview with WMC-TV that the town has had water issues in the past due to a system that needs updates.
“Honestly, we have a bad system. Nobody took care of it for a long time and everything is falling apart,” Mayor Eddie Noeman said.
espresso