HISTORIC ARCTIC BLAST BRINGS RECORD-BREAKING SNOWFALL TO SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA

Causing multiple broken mains and loss of pressure.

 A rare winter storm swept through the Southeast Louisiana, bringing record-breaking snowfalls. Baton Rouge experienced its largest snowfall in over a century, with the National Weather Service officially recording 7.6 inches of snow, breaking the previous record of 6.5 inches set on February 15, 1895.

As Louisiana thaws out from a historic snowstorm and record cold temperatures, water main breaks and boil water advisories are spreading through the New Orleans region, prompting officials to urge residents to conserve as much as possible.

Throughout the region, officials asked residents to stop dripping their faucets to keep their pipes from freezing as temperatures briefly climbed above 32, though another hard freeze is expected in some places overnight on Thursday into Friday.

Boil water advisories in effect include:

• Plaquemines Parish on Thursday asked all residents “shut off all water” to “allow our systems to replenish,” the parish government said on social media. Boil water notices were in effect for areas between Belle Chasse and Port Sulphur and for all residents between the Homeplace water tower and the Boothville water plant, where many water line breaks were reported.
• In Jefferson Parish, the City of Gretna, with the exception of the Timberlane subdivision, due to the high volume of water main breaks. Parts of Grand Isle, from Cheniere to Rosethorn Lane, were also under a boil water advisory.
• All of St. Bernard Parish, which instructed "all residents to shut off all water to allow our system to replenish." The parish also reported numerous line breaks.
• The following areas in St. John the Baptist Parish: Reserve, Garyville, Mt. Airy, Edgard Wallace, and Pleasure Bend. The parish reported an unusually high volume of leaks.
• Parts of New Orleans East and Venetian Isles.
• St. James Parish issued a boil water advisory late Wednesday for all unincorporated areas on both sides of the Mississippi, excluding the towns of Lutcher and  Gramercy. On Thursday, the Town of Gramercy asked residents to conserve water.
• Patterson issued a Boil Water Advisory until further notice 
• Baton Rouge region Boil water advisory  affecting Ascension, Iberville, and East Feliciana Parishes.
• Egan. Impacted areas include Rayne, Grand Prairie, Lafayette, Youngsville, Opelousas, Henderson, Sunset and Vermilion.