Deep freeze in South causing water issues into the weekend

A huge swath of the South has been under a deep freeze this week.

January 20, 2024, 3:53 PM

A huge swath of the South has been under a deep freeze this week with cold temperatures expected to continue into the weekend. The brutal cold has been causing a myriad of water-related issues across the region.

In Memphis, Tennessee, the entire city is under a precautionary boil water advisory due to a multitude of burst pipes and "a significant loss of pressure to the drinking water system."

The Memphis City Council announced Saturday morning that water will be distributed at various locations around the city in response to the Boil Water Advisory.

PHOTO: A man shovels snow off the sidewalk in front of a parking lot in Downtown Memphis, Tenn., on Jan. 16, 2024.
A man shovels snow off the sidewalk in front of a parking lot in Downtown Memphis, Tenn., on Jan. 16, 2024.
Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal via USA Today Network

As of this morning, Memphis Light, Gas and Water said they continue to work "around the clock to find and fix leaks in the system," but that they "cannot provide estimated restoration times until all leaks are identified."

The cold snap will be making its way deeper into the South on Saturday and Sunday, with freeze alerts as far south as Fort Myers, Florida, as wind chill temperatures fall into the 10s for Sunday morning.

PHOTO: A person walks through snow on Jan. 18, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn.
A person walks through snow on Jan. 18, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn.
George Walker IV/AP

Across the U.S., more than 60 million Americans were under winter alerts for cold and snow as of Saturday afternoon.

-ABC News' Daniel Amarante contributed to this report.

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