City Preparing for Potential Severe Weather Easter Sunday
Alexandria, La. (April 10, 2020) — Officials with the City of Alexandria and Alexandria Utility System are preparing for potential severe weather Easter Sunday.
Friday morning the National Weather Service in Lake Charles projected a moderate risk of severe thunderstorms in the Central Louisiana area for Sunday, April 12. Moderate risk is the second highest warning level and is described as “widespread severe storms likely, long-lived, widespread and intense.” Severe storms are described as those with winds in excess of 58 mph with the potential for heavy rains, lightening, hail of at least 1-inch in diameter and tornadoes.
Regarding the specific forecast for the Alexandria area Sunday, the National Weather Service said, “An outbreak of severe thunderstorms appears likely Sunday into Sunday night, with the greatest threat expected from Louisiana east-northeastward through much of the Southeast and Tennessee Valley. Strong, long-tracked tornadoes and potentially widespread damaging wind are possible.”
Alexandria Mayor Jeffrey W. Hall urges residents to make preparations now for potential severe weather and to closely monitor weather forecasts. “We saw the devastation a severe storm can do last December when a long-track tornado hit the Johnny Downs Sports Complex and homes and businesses on the western side of the city,” Mayor Hall said. “We hope we don’t see anything of that magnitude this weekend, but our crews are ready to respond to restore power and deal with any debris or flooding we may encounter.”
As always, residents living in mobile homes and other areas at high risk for wind damage should take proper precautions. Given the current efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus and distance people, residents who routinely seek shelter away from their homes during times of anticipated severe weather may need to make alternate arrangements to find safe shelter.
Contact:
Jim Smilie
Communications
318.449.5038 (Office)
318.730.1683 (Cell)
jim.smilie@cityofalex.com
