Coping with the cold across the metro area

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - For tornado victims on the Westbank, home for the holidays is in a travel trailer in Bayou Segnette.

“You know, we have four girls and it’s rough. We have two teenagers and two babies. Christmas will be different,” says Tiffany Bordelon.

Living a travel trailer isn’t easy, but the freezing temperatures is making life even more difficult.

“They came last night and told us that we have to run the butane on certain times. We can only use the water so much. We have to shut the water off tonight,” says Lance Bordelon.

27 families affected by the tornadoes are braving the cold in trailers this Christmas. Many have space heaters running inside, and they’re bundling up.

“Throughout the night, it get cold,” says Lance Bordelon.

“We keep the kids bundled up with levels of clothes. Everybody has blankets, and we are all having to sleep together,” says Tiffany Bordelon.

People with nowhere else to go, are taking advantage of warming shelters in Jefferson and Orleans. About 8 people stayed in the Rosenwald Center on North Broad, but volunteers say they’re expecting many more people to show up tonight.

Along Canal Street, tourists are getting a unique experience in New Orleans.

Most tourists are layered up, but we found one man in shorts.

“We are going to cruise today. This is the warmest attire that I have,” says Mark Ostrow.

He says it’s New Orleans on top, and the Caribbean on the bottom. His wife, though, got the message.

“I’m not going to say I’m more intelligent than he is, but yes, I came a little bit more prepared,” says Jane Ostrow.

They’re taking it all in strike along Canal Street, figuring out ways to stay warm and still taking in the sights and sounds of New Orleans.

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