KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The first day of 2018 for Kansas City was a cold one -- the second coldest New Year's Day, according to weather records.
As temperatures plunged to -11 degrees Fahrenheit, thousands dealt with power outages and freezing pipes.
BRRRRRR: this cold weather has @KCMOwater crews out and about!Right now Main Street between 50th and 51st is closed as crews work pic.twitter.com/hXmyL1APa8
— Ariel Rothfield KSHB (@arothfield) January 1, 2018
"We've been going at it this morning since 9:00," said Jose Maria Rodriguez of Morgan Miller Plumbing.
All day Rodriguez has been moving from one call to another. Each job, he said, is the result of the cold temperatures.
"Every little crack that you don't see in your home will create this right here," he said holding a cracked copper pipe. "The pipes will handle a certain amount but when it gets this cold, it doesn't do too well."
Crews with the Kansas City Water Department also rang in the New Year at work.
Several water line breaks were reported around the city, including a line valve leak near 85th and Wornall. The leak, like others around the city, quickly turned into sheets of ice on the road.
This is near 85th and Wornall. @KCMOwater tells us it’s a line valve leak on a 12” line @41actionnews pic.twitter.com/nW1WCz0kyP
— Ariel Rothfield KSHB (@arothfield) January 1, 2018
Although cities and water departments cannot add insulation to underground pipes, there are steps you can take to protect your pipes at home:
Prevention Tips:
- Let warm water drip overnight
- Keep your thermostat set at the same temperature during the day and night
- Open cabinet doors to allow heat to get to un-insulated pipes under sinks and appliances near exterior walls
