‘Stay home,’ Jackson mayor says as freezing cold, wintry weather could bring treacherous conditions
By Ross Adams
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JACKSON, Mississippi (WAPT) — Jackson residents are urged to stay off the roads Monday and Tuesday as dangerous cold and icy conditions are expected.
“We’re best advised to stay off the roads,” Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said.
The mayor reminded residents that Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, so many people are already off for the holiday. He urged those who can to get the supplies they need Sunday, before the freezing rain and sleet move in Monday.
“With the deep cold, the road will freeze, as well as bridges and overpasses,” said Robert Lee, with the Jackson Public Works Department. “I would not recommend traveling Monday or Tuesday unless it’s absolutely necessary.”
The city of Jackson, along with the American Red Cross and other agencies, plans to open an emergency shelter on Monday to provide a place for people to come in out of the cold.
The temporary shelter is scheduled to open at 11 a.m. Monday at Shepard’s Gym at 1355 Hattiesburg St., near Jim Hill High School. City officials said food will be offered and cots will be available. The Jackson Police Department will provide security at the shelter.
Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade said officers are moving to 12-hour shifts and detectives and administrative staff will move to patrol during the extreme cold weather.
The mayor said that, unlike Northern cities, Jackson and much of Mississippi are not equipped to deal with widespread freezing precipitation. WAPT chief meteorologist David Hartman said the state could see wintry precipitation, including freezing rain and snow in some areas. Hartman said temperatures will be below freezing.
The sub-freezing temperatures could cause problems to unprotected pipes, and those who are out in the cold risk frostbite and hypothermia. Lumumba asked residents to check on relatives, especially the elderly, to make sure they’re safe during the dangerous cold.
The mayor said the emergency shelter will stay open as long as needed. There are other facilities that are prepared to open, should that be necessary.
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