Louisiana readies for arctic blast with crop and road safety efforts

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – An arctic blast is expected early next week. Now, preparations are underway to protect plants and ensure roads stay open.

At Harris Strawberry Farm in Pontchatoula, sheets flap in the wind as workers make sure the 12 acres of crop are protected.

Rachel Harris said harvest has been slow.

“It takes a couple of days to prepare for a freeze like this,” Harris said. “It’s very, very hard on Louisiana farmers.”

Harris is concerned the freezing weather will burn the blooms. Her team is also battling the wind to cover the strawberries.

“You combat that and you pray,” Harris said. “You pray to God that the plants make it, that the blooms, the strawberries make it. It’s a lot. It’s a lot of work.”

After extreme heat this summer and now extreme cold, gardeners are also worried about how stress will impact plants.

“It could stunt growth. It could cause some malnutrition,” said Wayne Soniat with The Plant Gallery. “In order to keep them healthy and promote more growth health, you definitely want to protect your plants going into the winter.”

Soniat says bed sheets can also be used to cover plants, but he recommends removing all coverings when the sun comes up.

“Let them breathe and get that air circulation,” Soniat said.

It’s best to water plants before freezing temperatures; moist soil stays warmer than dry soil. The threshold before plants are damaged or killed by a freeze depends on the type of plant.

In Bridge City, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development is stocked with the material and tools to keep roads open during a freeze.

“We have to respond to the needs of the motoring public and ensure that conditions are safe,” said Scott Boyle, District Engineer Administrator for LA DOTD District 02.

Sand and more than 250,000 pounds of salt are available for the New Orleans region. Boyle said his team is modifying equipment to treat roads.

“These are very similar to a spreader you might use on your lawn where it disperses a material,” Boyle said. “We use dump trucks, very big agricultural spreaders.”

Before temps reach freezing, brine, a highly concentrated mixture of salt and water will be applied to roads.

“If we wait until the ice is on the roads, it is much more challenging to address and mitigate,” Boyle said.

DOTD will begin mixing brine on Sunday. Once the mixture is created, the solution is good for roughly four to five months.

Boyle said, “We keep it in a safe storage location and if it’s determined to not be needed or utilized, we dispose of it properly with consultation with the city or the parish.”

DOTD will continue watching the forecast and will have employees checking bridges and overpasses.

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