City of New Orleans Provides Updates on Winter Storm Recovery, Freeze Plan Activation Continues

City Hall to Resume Normal Business Operations on Friday at 8 a.m. 

 

NEW ORLEANS – The City of New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (NOHSEP) continues to closely monitor winter weather impacts and recovery efforts and advises residents to exercise caution by following these safety tips when returning to the roads.

 

The National Weather Service (NWS) has indicated that daytime temperatures rose well above freezing today, melting snow and ice on the roads and improving driving conditions. However, significant snow and ice remain. Overnight lows will reach near-freezing temperatures, allowing for possible “black ice” to accumulate on elevated roads and bridges tonight. A Cold Weather Advisory is in effect tonight from 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. Friday.

The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) remains activated 24/7 as the City continues to respond to this event. City Hall will reopen to the public on Friday, Jan. 24, at 8 a.m.

 

CITYWIDE FREEZE ACTIVATION

Temporary overnight shelters and warming centers continue to be provided for those in need until Saturday, Jan. 25, at 12 p.m. Those in need of shelter should call 3-1-1.

Unhoused residents in need of shelter may visit the following:

• Ozanam Inn, 2239 Poydras St. (6 beds open for women)

Individuals in need of a warming center may visit the following:

• St. Bernard Rec Center, 1500 Lafreniere St.
• Rosenwald Rec Center, 1120 S. Broad St.
• Treme Rec Center, 900 N. Villere St.

Additional updates:

• All other shelters are at full capacity at this time.

SEWERAGE AND WATER BOARD OF NEW ORLEANS (SWBNO)

Water line breaks can occur when temperatures reach below freezing. In the event of freezing pipes or a water line break, call a licensed plumber. A licensed plumber will be able to repair your water line break, but here’s what you can do before the plumber arrives to help minimize damage:

• Turn Off the Water: Locate the main water line from your water meter and shut it off. This valve is located where the water line enters your house.
• Drain Your Pipes: Turn on all indoor faucets to drain remaining water in the pipes.
• Disconnect Hoses: Remove garden hoses and washing machine hoses to prevent further damage.

Elderly or disabled residents physically unable to shut off the valve should call 3-1-1 for assistance.

 

Residents are urged to report sewer and water emergencies to 52-WATER. Crews are responding to sewer and water emergencies now that road conditions have improved.

 

BUSINESS AND SERVICES REOPENING

As weather conditions improve and roadways clear, businesses and services are starting to reopen. Here’s a list of some essential services now open to the public:

• The Sobering Center: Opened at 12 p.m. today.
• Walgreens Pharmacies: Opened at 11 a.m. today.
• Louisiana SPCA: Opened at 5 p.m. today.
• Dialysis Centers: The majority have reopened today and are expected to resume regular operating hours tomorrow. Clinics will contact patients directly with updates.
• BHG Clinic: The BHG clinic on Poydras Ave. is scheduled to resume normal operating hours tomorrow.

ROADS AND BRIDGES

The New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), Louisiana State Police (LSP), and the Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) have continued to keep roads closed for the safety of residents. NOPD urges residents NOT to move or attempt to drive around barricades. Roads will be reopened and barricades removed as soon as it is safe to do so.

 

The City continues to deploy snowplows to clear roads, bridges, and highways. Below is an update on cleared roads, and roads that will be prioritized for clearing moving forward:

• Crescent City Connection: One lane of traffic has been reopened.
• Interstate 10: At the request of DOTD, snowplows will clear Interstate 10 from east to west. Once completed, Interstate 510 and Interstate 610 are the next priority.
• New Orleans East: Snowplow efforts are focused on Hayne Blvd., Morrison Rd., Dwyer Rd., Read Blvd., and Bullard Ave. Crowder Blvd. is already cleared.
• Major Corridors: In coordination with NOPD, LSP, and DOTD, DPW is prioritizing the clearing of major routes, including:
  • Claiborne Ave., Carrollton Ave., Napoleon Ave., Earhart Blvd., Tulane Ave., MLK Blvd., Washington Ave., St. Bernard Ave., AP Tureaud St., St. Claude Ave., Elysian Fields Ave., Franklin Ave., Chef Menteur Hwy., Poland Ave., Fats Domino Ave.
• CBD & Warehouse District: Snowplow operations are underway on:
  • Convention Center Blvd., S. Peters St., Tchoupitoulas St., Magazine St., Camp St., St. Charles Ave., Carondelet St., Baronne St., O’Keefe Ave., South Rampart St., Loyola Ave., Henderson St.
• Other Locations: Efforts are also focused on:
  • Wisner Blvd., Marconi Dr., Canal Blvd., West End Blvd., Pontchartrain Blvd., City Park Ave., Allen Toussaint Blvd., Filmore Ave., Mirabeau Ave.

A map of plowed roads can be viewed here.

 

DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT (DDD)

The Downtown Development District management is mobilizing resources to clear ice and snow from sidewalks in portions of the district. The following areas have been cleared:

• Canal St., River to Burgundy St.
• Convention Center Blvd. (Poydras St. to Business 90)

Sidewalk clearing is ongoing, with the following areas scheduled for immediate attention:

• Poydras St.
• Julia St.
• South Market
• Warehouse District

REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY (RTA)

• Bus Service: Limited bus service will resume tomorrow, Jan. 24, from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., with approximately 44 buses operating across key routes that have been found safe and accessible. A full list of available routes will be published tonight at www.norta.com/freeze and on the LePass app.
• Streetcar Service: Streetcar lines are not in service due to ice accumulation and standing water. Crews are working diligently to address these challenges, and streetcar service is expected to resume no earlier than Sunday, Jan. 26, beginning with the Canal line, pending further track clearance. Buses will service streetcar lines until streetcars can roll safely again.
• Ferry Service: The ferry will remain suspended tonight, as crews work to clear landings. Service is anticipated to resume mid-morning tomorrow, Jan. 24, 2025, as soon as conditions allow.
• Paratransit Service: Limited paratransit service is available for medical trips in coordination with the City of New Orleans Health Department. Individuals in need of a ride for essential medical services should contact the Health Department at (504) 658-2500. Regular paratransit service will resume on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, with advance reservations available now at (504) 827-7433 (RIDE).

RTA aims to restore normal bus, ferry, and paratransit services by Saturday, Jan. 25, with normal streetcar service anticipated to return on Sunday, Jan. 26, conditions allowing.

Residents may note that services are subject to change due to road and weather conditions as well as safety concerns. Stay informed by visiting www.norta.com/freeze, downloading the LePass app, or calling the RTA Rideline at (504) 248-3900 for the latest updates.

 

SANITATION

Due to the ongoing impacts of the severe winter weather, the City of New Orleans Department of Sanitation has suspended curbside recycling collection to allow all available resources to be dedicated to trash collections this week.

 

Residents may hold their recycling materials for collection next week. Any recycling materials placed curbside this week will be collected and transported to the landfill.

 

Severe Winter Weather Trash Collection Schedule:

Trash collection will run three days behind schedule for the remainder of this week, completing on Monday, Jan. 27. Next week’s collections will run one day behind schedule, beginning on Tuesday, Jan. 28. Recycling collection has been suspended this week and will resume on Tuesday, Jan. 28.

 

This Week’s Collection Schedule:

• Trash collection for Tuesday locations will occur on Friday, Jan. 24
• Trash collection for Wednesday locations will occur on Saturday, Jan. 25
• Trash collection for Thursday locations will occur on Sunday, Jan. 26
• Trash collection for Friday locations will occur on Monday, Jan. 27

Next Week’s Collection Schedule:

• Trash and recycling collection for Monday locations will occur on Tuesday, Jan. 28
• Trash and recycling collection for Tuesday locations will occur on Wednesday, Jan. 29
• Trash and recycling collection for Wednesday locations will occur on Thursday, Jan. 30
• Trash and recycling collection for Thursday locations will occur on Friday, Jan. 31
• Trash and recycling collection for Friday locations will occur on Saturday, Feb. 1

For questions or additional information about sanitation services, contact the City’s Department of Sanitation at 3-1-1.

 

ENTERGY NEW ORLEANS

Entergy New Orleans continues to monitor weather impacts and, in the event of outages, will continue to move as quickly and safely as possible to restore service. Restoration times may be slowed by road conditions. Residents are urged to stay off the road if possible. Vehicle impacts can lead to outages.

 

Click here to report an outage.

 

NOLA-PS

In response to winter storm impacts, NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) and its Central Office (2401 Westbend Parkway, New Orleans) will be closed on Friday, Jan. 24. NOLA-

PS will continue to work in coordination with city officials and follow their recommendations and guidelines.

 

LOUIS ARMSTRONG NEW ORLEANS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (MSY)

Airlines at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport have resumed operations. Airlines will continue to evaluate if additional cancellations will occur based on conditions in the local area as well as on the airfield. Passengers are advised to check directly with their airlines for the most up-to-date flight information and are advised not to come to the airport unless they have a confirmed departure.

 

In coordination with the City of New Orleans, snowplow crews cleared airport roadways and the airfield on Wednesday, Jan. 22. The terminal facility is operational, and the terminal will be staffed appropriately as flight operations resume.

 

Click here for a list of airline contact information.  

 

Passengers who made prepaid parking reservations at MSY and experienced weather-related flight cancellations can contact New South Parking by emailing info@newsouthparking.com to request a refund. Please include your full name, email address, and reservation number in the email.

 

Updates can be found here: https://flymsy.com/2025-winter-weather-updates/.

 

CRIMINAL DISTRICT COURT FOR THE PARISH OF ORLEANS

The Criminal District Court for the Parish of Orleans will be closed on Friday, Jan. 24, and reopen on Monday, Jan. 27, unless further extended by Order of this Court.

 

READY.NOLA.GOV

Updates on winter weather and local impacts will be available at ready.nola.gov. Residents are encouraged to follow @NOLAReady on Twitter and sign up for email and text message alerts at http://ready.nola.gov/stay-connected/emergency-alerts/. For more information on winter weather preparedness, visit http://ready.nola.gov/plan/winter/.

 

IMPORTANT NUMBERS TO KNOW

• For life-threatening emergencies and downed power lines, call 911
• For real-time traffic and road conditions, call 511
• To report downed traffic signals or in the event of a traffic accident not involving injuries, call 504-821-2222
• To report power outages, call 1-800-968-8243 (1-800-9OUTAGE)
• To report water emergencies, call 504-529-2837 (504-52WATER)

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