LAWRENCE, Mass. — On top of the snow and rain Friday morning, people living in temporary housing in the Merrimack Valley are dealing with a new problem.
The pipes in their trailers are freezing.
Some residents have been living in the trailers on the South Common in Lawrence since the end of September. And this weather is the scenario so many were afraid of in the aftermath of the gas explosions.
[ Residents worry about frozen pipes as temperatures begin to drop in Lawrence ]
Several of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) trailers were reportedly having issues with frozen wastewater last night, just as the storm and freezing temperatures moved in.
Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera was at the trailers until late Thursday night and was quoted saying a special piece of equipment was being brought in Friday morning to thaw the frozen pipes.
The pipes are plastic in the trailers, so officials say they won't burst. But this is just another in a long line of problems for the people who have been without heat or hot water in their homes for months.
Mayor Rivera told the Eagle Tribune the problems need to be fixed by 10 a.m. Friday or there will be a "much larger problem."
One resident told Boston 25 News he doesn't feel angry, he simply has no other option and nowhere else to go.
[ Safety recommendations issued as Merrimack Valley investigation continues ]