DDN – On Tuesday, the bitter cold continued to grip Metro Detroit and most of the state, resulting in water main breaks, road difficulties, and additional school closures.
The National Weather Service issued a cold weather advisory for southeast Michigan until noon. Wednesday, as temperatures hovered in the single digits for the majority of Tuesday. Wind chills were forecast to reach – 20 to minus 25 degrees by late Tuesday and remain there until Wednesday morning.
The cold led hundreds of schools in the region to cancel lessons, with many planning to remain closed until Thursday. The Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Center both closed for the day Tuesday.
The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department had ten crews working on water main break repairs throughout the city, including one at Vaughan and Constance streets that spewed freezing water down nearly an entire block. By 6 p.m., a department official said that the Vaughn break had been fixed and workmen were finishing up.
“They will be moving to one of the other several water main breaks, where in most cases residents still have water service,” said Bryan Peckinpaugh, a department spokesperson.
Peckinpaugh stated that whenever there is a drastic temperature change, such as a severe cold or a heat wave, “it can put extra tension on the pipes and cause breaks.”
Nonetheless, staff were taking precautions to protect themselves from the severe temperatures.
“We have our workers making sure they cover their faces as much as possible in this frigid weather, in addition to wearing protective, boots, layered clothing, gloves, and hard hats and take breaks inside running vehicles to get warm,” Pekinpaugh told me.
Detroit residents can report any bubbling or standing water by using the department’s Improve Detroit app or by calling (313) 267-8000.
Reference: Brutal cold keeps icy grip on SE Michigan
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