MEMPHIS, Tenn — A potential deep freeze is making its way to the Mid-South, which could cause problems for homes and businesses.
The bitter-cold temperatures could burst pipes, which is exactly what happened at the Citadel of Deliverance Church in southeast Memphis during the Dec. 2022 freeze.
Pastor Linwood Dillard said several pipes burst on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2022, flooding the facility.
"The pulpit area. The sanctuary where the alter area is. Also in the pre-function, open space foyer area. Even in the front there was a pipe burst in a little kitchenette,” said Dillard.
The church spent nearly ten months restoring the building. They had to replace walls, floors and ceilings.
"The process has played out, and we're at a point of total restoration and perhaps even better," said Dillard.
He said with so many others in the Mid-South experiencing the same issue, restoration was difficult.
"This area was hit hard, so there were a number of people who were trying to put things back together. So, the restoration companies were hit hard. The insurance companies, they were hit hard. And so, we really had to do a lot of things ourselves on the front end,” said Dillard.
Since then, Pastor Dillard said the pipes have been insulated and new crisis management plans were put in place. But he's still worried about this possibly happening again in the coming days.
"Sometimes when I hear splashes of water, I'm like, 'What is that? What's going on?' But I know that's just a part of reflecting on what we experienced," said Dillard.
Calvin Brock, owner of Traditional Plumbing Co., said they were busy during that freeze. But he is hopeful that people like Pastor Dillard used that experience as a valuable lesson going into this potential deep freeze.
"I think with last year being so fresh on everybody's mind, I do think the number will be reduced a little bit. A lot of people will be taking more precautions. Alot of people got upgrades to the system after this happened,” said Brock.
The December 2022 deep freeze led to nearly 40 water main breaks and forced a five-day boil water advisory.