New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu has ordered City Hall closed tomorrow and Wednesday because of the incoming ice storm. The mayor says conditions could be the worst seen in the city for 25 years.
Mayor Landrieu is asking people to stay home for the next couple of days. As much as a half-inch of ice could end up coating city streets — and there are no sand or salt trucks on hand.
“We haven’t seen this in a long time, and of course we don’t have a lot of experience in New Orleans driving on ice — and I’m guessing we don’t do it very well," Landrieu said. "Especially if you don’t have the right equipment.”
State transportation officials have a few trucks available to keep Interstate 10 and state roadways treated.
But the public is being advised that all travel — especially on bridges and elevated roadways prone to freezing — should be avoided.