SLIDELL, La. -- The dip in temperatures is putting Northshore emergency officials on the offensive. City crews spent Thursday evening prepping for what could possibly be dangerous conditions on the roadway.
Smooth roads could soon become slippery ones.
"We're very concerned that after this rain, the wind and temperatures are going to drop pretty quickly causing icy roadways conditions," said Capt. Kevin Foltz of the Slidell Police Department.
Slidell city workers have already covered the Highway 11 overpass with sand for fear it will ice over by morning. Crews will remain on standby through the night to lay more down where needed in hopes of protecting morning commuters.
"Yeah, it concerns me a little bit," said Slidell resident Brian Metz. "I gotta be at work at 5 in the morning so don't want to get into an accident; stupid things happen in bad weather."
A fear echoed by many Slidell drivers.
"I do a lot of driving I drive to and from the North Shore and so I worry," said Jason Butcher. "I see a lot of people slamming breaks and really I don't know what to do."
Still, some drivers aren't so worried.
"I've been watching the temperatures, and with the amount of rain going up north, I think they're overreacting to a bit," said Slidell resident Steven Christoforo.
Slidell police officers, however, continue to urge caution.
"When you hit ice, you're going to lose traction, so the biggest thing we ask everybody to do is first and foremost if you don't have to go out in it, don't go out in it," said Foltz. "If you do have to travel in it, decrease your speed, give yourself room in between the vehicle in front of you."
When it comes to icy conditions, space could prove to be your best safest tool because even the most confident of drivers acknowledge it's hard to avoid what you can't see.
"Black ice is what everyone's talking about," said Christoforo. "You can't see it till you're on it and then you can't do a thing."
If ice does manage to form on a few bridges or overpasses overnight, it's expected to melt away by about 9 a.m. Thursday. Late Saturday night going into Sunday could carry the same potential for problems, but it shouldn't be as serious as the possibility for icy roadways Thursday evening.
