A few snowflakes were reported falling Thursday along with thetemperature, and more cold weather is

Some local merchants reported a drop in customers Thursday aspeople tended to stay indoors. Those who were out and about seemedto be in search of protection for their homes, vehicles andpets.

Pipe wraps continued to be a hot selling item as area residentshoped to prevent becoming a part of the estimated quarter-millionAmerican families that have one or more rooms in their homes ruinedeach winter by water pipes freezing and breaking.

When the outside temperature drops below 20 degrees, uninsulatedwater pipes can burst. The low here last night was reported as 14degrees by the city’s waste water treatment plant. A crack as smallas one-eighth inch can spew out more than 250 gallons of water aday, destroying floors, furniture, appliances and personalitems.

Insulation that is tightly wrapped around pipes and properlyinstalled faucet covers can be helpful in preventing such damage,said hardware store employees.

“It’s important to not just stick it on and leave it. They needto tape it so air doesn’t get between the wrap and the pipe,” saidJames Schilling, manager of a Brookhaven hardware store.

A broken pipe was blamed for a sheet of ice that covered part ofHighway 51 south of Wesson this morning. Law enforcement officerswere on hand to warn drivers of the danger.

City water department crews were working Friday morning torepair a 6-inch water main at the intersection of Union of JenniferStreets.

So far, Superintendent Lanny Dickey said, that is the onlyproblem reported. He expects that to change.

“As the temperature gets above freezing, we’ll probably getcalls to cut off water,” he said.

Homeowners weren’t the only ones taking the necessaryprecautions for what is expected to be the coldest weatherMississippi has seen in over 10 years.

Vehicles were getting plenty of care this week as owners filledup on antifreeze to keep their transportation going in the coldweather.

Wednesday’s overnight low hit 21 degrees in Brookhaven andtemperatures are expected to dive well below freezing again Fridaynight. Many residents may turn to their fire places for a littleextra warmth, but emergency officials urge them to use caution.

Mississippi Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Amy Carruthsaid fires should only be lit in fire places, with children, petsand flammable materials kept at safe distances away from fires orspace heaters.

“We can just encourage citizens to not take drastic measureswith this cold,” she said.