I had to sit still on I10 near the AL line for 10 hours this morning (Edited title line)

[A HERETIC I AM]

Last edited Wed Apr 30, 2014, 02:43 PM - Edit history (2)

Posting from my phone so getting you a link is a bit of a pain, but if you look at a weather sat or radar image of the Pensacola area, you'll see what I am sitting under right now.

Apparently I 10 is closed from the state line to the 5 mile marker in FL. I'm sitting about the 8 or so. Moved about 500 yards in the last 3 hours.

Went through a cell on the other side of Pensacola that was pretty serious with winds across the highway strong enough to push the trailer of a truck in front of me clear into the left lane!

I can't seem to get any info on the Alabama side of the state line re: closing the freeway.

Ah well. Stay dry folks!

[Demo_Chris]

1. I would be very concerned about what is heading your way as I type this. Stay safe...

And remember that a car or truck is worse than a ditch. Not saying to run, but keep your eyes open.

[A HERETIC I AM]

6. Yeah. Thanks.

Had some white knuckle moments earlier before I came to the jam up. Still a very active string of storms passing over. Lots of lightning.

[yeoman6987]

10. Are you coming home from work?

I hope you are ok but they have said it was going to be bad weather for 24 hours.......why didn't you stay home? Please. The next time they say "bad weather" please stay home so we do not have to worry so much about you. You are important to this site and many of us. Stay Home during hazardous weather....PLEASE!

[pinboy3niner]

11. He's a long-haul truckdriver--staying home is not an option

With a schedule to meet, any interruption is a problem. If you look below, you'll see he's headed to California. CALIFORNIA! Now that's a long haul!

[yeoman6987]

12. Thank you

I was just concerned for him. Bottom line is I am VERY glad that he is ok.

[A HERETIC I AM]

17. You're very sweet and I appreciate the concern.

Last edited Wed Apr 30, 2014, 08:44 AM - Edit history (1)

Sorry about the delay in responding.

We're safe ( I have a co-driver) and it has stopped raining as the sun is now coming up. As another poster mentioned, serious flooding in Pensacola proper and interstate 10 has at least 2 creeks that normally run under the freeway via culverts are flooding OVER the interstate, closing it to traffic.

At about 3:00 AM I was able to reach the first creek that had initially shut me down. I was able to ford it with our semi, but it was easily 3 feet deep and rather swiftly flowing from north to south.

It's a mess, to say the least. We sit here still and word from the highway patrol is "we have no idea"!!

I figure at least a few hours more of sitting at least.

[yeoman6987]

18. Continued best wishes for a swift and safe destination

I know that most hate having to be in traffic....I am one of them, but in this situation, it is understandable. I am glad you are ok and hope that soon you will be out of there. Also really glad that you have a co-driver...that for sure makes a difference.

[hedgehog]

19. Yikes! 3' deep is plenty of water to sweep away a car - even a 4 wheel drive

macho-mobile! I can't imagine why the authorities re-opened the road!

[A HERETIC I AM]

20. There were no cops!

While we were sitting still on the freeway a fire engine, 2 cop cars and 2 big wreckers passed us on the shoulder going toward the flooded section.... And a while later returned! So when I got to the section there was no one stopping anyone. Most of the cars were not crossing, but the big trucks were crossing. Or some were, anyway.

This little truck stop is now pretty much full of both cars and big rigs and more trucks are on the road out front.

Now that the sun is up I'll get some more shots.

[octoberlib]

2. According to Navbug road closed due to flooding ?

Stay safe! There was a tornado warning for Jackson county, FL that expired at 3m

[A HERETIC I AM]

4. Yes. Just forded about 4' of water crossing the interstate !

That flooding was about the 7 MM or so. Got across that only to find a FL State Trooper has the freeway closed at the 5 mile marker. So.... Out of the frying pan, into the fire!

But I'm not sitting on the highway any longer. At a dinky little truck stop.

[pinboy3niner]

3. ALDOT Road Conditions link

http://alitsweb2.dot.state.al.us/RoadConditions

Stay safe!

[A HERETIC I AM]

5. Thanks for that, PB39r.....

I did find that earlier, but it says nothing about I 10 that I could find.

I think we're screwed here for a few hours.

[pinboy3niner]

7. Glad to hear you made it to a truck stop

Here in SoCal we're dealing with different challenges--a couple more days of hot, dry, gusty El Niño conditions with Red Flag fire danger.

As Rosanne Rosannadanna said, it just goes to show you, it's always something—if it ain't one thing, it's another.

Keep your spirits up!

[A HERETIC I AM]

8. We are headed out there!

Destination is Oakland then down to LA then back east. We take 10 to Pomona then the 210 to 5 and north to the Bay Area. Supposed to make our first drop Thursday night. Probably be a bit late now!

[pinboy3niner]

9. Great!

You'll arrive to better conditions here...cooling a bit by the weekend, winds and red flags down.

I'm guessing lost time means lost money to you, but at least you didn't get caught in the worst of it.

Come bask in the sunshine if you have a chance!

Have a safe trip...we'll leave the light on for ya.

[malaise]

13. Pensacola Florida has flooding two feet deep

The I10 is closed down there. I can't believe the size of the system I'm seeing and it does not appear to be moving.
THey have never seen flooding like this.

[HooptieWagon]

14. Updates:

From Pensacola local news sources this morning. Parts of I-10 remain flooded. Bridge across Pensacola Bay is flooded. City of Pensacola flooded. 26" of rain reported in past 24 hrs... at one point last night they had 5" rain in one hour. One confirmed death so far. Looks like flooded conditions past Mobile. You might start looking into detouring around the area.

[A HERETIC I AM]

25. Re: detours....

Unfortunately, it really isn't an option because of all the creeks and rivers in this area. If we went traipsing off on a 2 lane we might find ourselves in even more trouble!

[A HERETIC I AM]

15. A couple photos from this mess

Last edited Wed Apr 30, 2014, 09:13 AM - Edit history (1)

Just a handful of the by now hundreds of trucks affected by the highway shutdown. These are lines up to get on westbound at exit 5 in Florida;





I took a video of the lightning event as I approached the thunderstorm line, about 70 miles east of Pensacola and I'll put it up as soon as I can get it to YouTube.

[QC]

16. In Panama City here and it's insane right now.

Yard flooded, heavy lightning, no visibility, etc. Not nice!

[hootinholler]

21. Holy Cow!

A liberal long haul trucker!

A rare breed judging by the CB!

Power to ya! And your handle is perfect in that context!

When you get up Frederick, Md. I70/270 split, way give us a holler!

[A HERETIC I AM]

24. There's a few of us on DU!

I haven't been up that way in quite a while, but if I get to that portion of Maryland, I'll let ya know!

[A HERETIC I AM]

22. Video of the lightning event

This was taken around the 70 mile marker or so, 62 miles before I came to a halt and started this thread.

I drove under this for almost an hour. Probably one of the most spectacular lightning events I have ever seen in over 20 years of over the road driving

There was hardly any rain falling at this point, but it came down in a big way as I got closer. The entire area was under a tornado watch at the time.

[hedgehog]

26. How does something like that affect your night vison?

[A HERETIC I AM]

29. Just woke up....As long as the flashes were up in the clouds, I'm fine

but there were strikes right in front of me that definitely are blinding. I pulled down the sun visor at one point.

[A HERETIC I AM]

23. They just reopened the freeway about ten minutes ago (9:00 AM EST)

I am out of hours so my co-driver will take over, 350 miles shy of where he normally would.

I hope all the GA and Panhandle DU'ers stay safe, warm and dry today.

[dixiegrrrrl]

27. Been reading about this...my heart goes out to you.

They measured 9,000 lightening strikes in 15 minutes!

i was able to watch that damn storm jsut sit, for hours, over Mobile and Pensecola, setting all sorts of records for rain and flooding.
It is going to be horribly expensive to patch up the roads all thru there.

I imagine sitting in a rig was better than in a car, at least as far as bathroom needs go?

[A HERETIC I AM]

32. Not really!

This truck isn't large enough to have a toilet, so being in the truck stop was nice, I assure you. Having the bunk is handy though, absolutely.

It was remarkable, I have to say. I've been in storm systems that just seemed to never end, but this one just dumped and enormous amount of water.

[Earth_First]

28. A buddy of mine was stuck last night on this very same stretch of highway...

Spent the night in the car on the interstate as FHP shut it down.

He posted some insane photographs last nigbt and this morning of his experience.

Glad you made it through safely.

[A HERETIC I AM]

30. Thanks...yeah..we're all the way over in Texas as I type, going through Houston.

I'm glad we didn't have to sit on the highway all night.

Glad your buddy is OK.

[nadinbrzezinski]

31. Just do me a favor, and stay safe!!!!

[IBEWVET]

33. In Pensacola since the fifties

Never have I seen the flooding that I saw on my way to work this morning. Not even Ivan. Its going to be hard to get around for a long time as bridges and roads are gone.

[A HERETIC I AM]

34. Wow,,

Hope you are able to get around as you need to.