This weather is awful!! 2008-2021

[aaronc879]

W2R if possible I'd avoid I-10 at all costs, take back roads. I-10 will be a traffic jam in either direction. Suggestion to go north a bit and parallel or head northeast or northwest to avoid jams. And leave now! Sunday morning may be too late, don't want to get caught on the road in heavy rains and winds.

I agree. Looks like you will already have thunderstorms and increased wind by sunrise Sunday morning. Leave now or hunker down at home. If you leave, drive as far as you can by sunset then get a hotel and continue north/northwest on Sunday morning. Memphis is still in the "cone" so I would continue on to Springfield or as close as you can get by sunset Sunday. Good luck.

 

[Koolau]

I've been watching the coverage on the weather channel. If I heard it correctly, they have decided it is "too late" to contra-flow I10. Makes no sense to me, but I have no insight on the issues. Maybe I just heard it wrong.

We are all pulling for W2R. So glad she was able to get fuel for her evac. plan.

 

[aaronc879]

I've been watching the coverage on the weather channel. If I heard it correctly, they have decided it is "too late" to contra-flow I10. Makes no sense to me, but I have no insight on the issues. Maybe I just heard it wrong.

We are all pulling for W2R. So glad she was able to get fuel for her evac. plan.

I was thinking the same thing when W2R mentioned contra last night. Seems like they could have done it early this morning if they really wanted to. Maybe it's more complicated than i'm aware of but it seemed very doable. Oh well. Hopefully she is taking I55 and that isn't as bad as I10.

 

[NW-Bound]

I would leave ASAP. I still remember the gridlock out of Houston during the evacuation from Hurricane Harvey in 2017. What a fiasco!

During Katrina, I was traveling, and did not know how the evacuation went, but watched on TV the shocking aftermath effect.

 

[eytonxav]

Good luck W2R! Hope your escape is a smooth one and you get somewhere safe and that the storm turns out to not be so bad.

 

[NW-Bound]

I just found this view of a freeway, probably I-10, out of New Orleans.

 

[aaronc879]

I just found this view of a freeway, probably I-10, out of New Orleans.

Why are there so many people going INTO New Orleans?

 

[audreyh1]

Safe travels W2R!

+1!

 

[Sunset]

I've been watching the coverage on the weather channel. If I heard it correctly, they have decided it is "too late" to contra-flow I10. Makes no sense to me, but I have no insight on the issues. Maybe I just heard it wrong.

We are all pulling for W2R. So glad she was able to get fuel for her evac. plan.

I heard the same thing yesterday... and I wondered WHY ?

Don't they have the plan written down and past experience, surely the freeway has some crossover or joining lanes normally closed that can be opened up, and block off the "other side" ramps.

 

[REWahoo]

I just pulled up Google Maps for the NO area and took a look at the traffic.

Wow, I-10 has major tie-ups to the west through Baton Rouge to Lafayette and beyond, and to the east through Biloxi, MS. Here is a link to the map: https://www.google.com/maps/@30.2983231,-90.4339869,9z/data=!5m1!1e1

 

[Koolau]

I heard the same thing yesterday... and I wondered WHY ?

Don't they have the plan written down and past experience, surely the freeway has some crossover or joining lanes normally closed that can be opened up, and block off the "other side" ramps.

On the WEATHER Channel, I just watched the NOLA mayor say: "The City-wide evacuation plan cannot be implemented, again, because we are not calling for a mandatory evacuation because the time is simply not on our side. We do not want to have people on the road and therefore a greater danger because of a lack of time." (Could be off a word or two.)

I don't understand this though the mayor's comments were cut off - perhaps she explained further. YMMV

 

[aja8888]

I just pulled up Google Maps for the NO area and took a look at the traffic.

Wow, I-10 has major tie-ups to the west through Baton Rouge to Lafayette and beyond, and to the east through Biloxi, MS. Here is a link to the map: https://www.google.com/maps/@30.2983231,-90.4339869,9z/data=!5m1!1e1

I wonder how many Teslas are sitting in that crawling traffic?

 

[NW-Bound]

I just pulled up Google Maps for the NO area and took a look at the traffic.

Wow, I-10 has major tie-ups to the west through Baton Rouge to Lafayette and beyond, and to the east through Biloxi, MS. Here is a link to the map: https://www.google.com/maps/@30.2983231,-90.4339869,9z/data=!5m1!1e1

That map would really help. I would avoid I-10, and use other roads to get to I-55 to escape.

 

[NW-Bound]

I wonder how many Teslas are sitting in that crawling traffic?

If you do not run the AC, you may be better than ICE cars that burn gas while idling.

The problem may be at recharging stations. With an ICE or hybrid car, I would feel more secure having a few gallons of gas in a small container with me. Can't bring spare batteries in an EV.

 

[Car-Guy]

I just pulled up Google Maps for the NO area and took a look at the traffic.

Wow, I-10 has major tie-ups to the west through Baton Rouge to Lafayette and beyond, and to the east through Biloxi, MS. Here is a link to the map: https://www.google.com/maps/@30.2983231,-90.4339869,9z/data=!5m1!1e1

If you see a guy driving a later model dark colored Lincoln on the west bound live traffic cameras, I might know where he is heading....

 

[audreyh1]

I wonder how many Teslas are sitting in that crawling traffic?

Why?

Assuming full charge from home you should be in fine shape.

 

[Car-Guy]

Why?

Assuming full charge from home you should be in fine shape.

How does running the AC in that traffic affect the range?

 

[Sunset]

If you do not run the AC, you may be better than ICE cars that burn gas while idling.

The problem may be at recharging stations. With an ICE or hybrid car, I would feel more secure having a few gallons of gas in a small container with me. Can't bring spare batteries in an EV.

The pictures of people filling up their cars yesterday included filling up 4 or 5 big plastic gas containers.
I'd want at least a spare 5 gallons probably more, and some rolls of TP

 

[Sunset]

How does running the AC in that traffic affect the range?

I think running A/C in a Tesla cuts the range as it uses battery power.
I think it does in a car too, but not by too much.

 

[W2R]

We left at 3:30 this morning, and as soon as we got off I-10 and went up I-55, the traffic was reasonable. It was dark and drizzling and awful. I've never been so exhausted in my life! But we got to West Memphis, Arkansas finally. We are safe and happy and staying in a nice motel here. I'll post more later but right now I haven't slept a minute in 2-3 days and I need to nap, de-stress and settle down. .

 

[audreyh1]

We left at 3:30 this morning, and as soon as we got off I-10 and went up I-55, the traffic was reasonable. It was dark and drizzling and awful. I've never been so exhausted in my life! But we got to West Memphis, Arkansas finally. We are safe and happy and staying in a nice motel here. I'll post more later but right now I haven't slept a minute in 2-3 days and I need to nap, de-stress and settle down. .

Thank goodness!

Already reached your destination! Yay!

Thanks for posting and get a good sleep.

P.s. we once stayed in a very cool RV park along the river in West Memphis.

 

[Accidental Retiree]

We left at 3:30 this morning, and as soon as we got off I-10 and went up I-55, the traffic was reasonable. It was dark and drizzling and awful. I've never been so exhausted in my life! But we got to West Memphis, Arkansas finally. We are safe and happy and staying in a nice motel here. I'll post more later but right now I haven't slept a minute in 2-3 days and I need to nap, de-stress and settle down. .

Very good news! Thanks for letting us all know you’re OK.

I looked at 55 north early this AM and saw it looked open for your trip to Memphis and was hoping for the best.

 

[Souschef]

Thank goodness!!! We were all worried about you. Stay safe

 

[aja8888]

Why?

Assuming full charge from home you should be in fine shape.

I wouldn't risk it, especially after seeing I-45 during hurricane Ike here in Houston. We are one mile from the freeway and it was a sight to see. Some cars were on the freeway for 2 days. They can bring fuel to a gasoline powered car if it runs out, but you can't just bring power in to a EV stuck on the freeway (or one that powered out looking for a charge station) if depletes the battery.

 

[Koolau]

We left at 3:30 this morning, and as soon as we got off I-10 and went up I-55, the traffic was reasonable. It was dark and drizzling and awful. I've never been so exhausted in my life! But we got to West Memphis, Arkansas finally. We are safe and happy and staying in a nice motel here. I'll post more later but right now I haven't slept a minute in 2-3 days and I need to nap, de-stress and settle down. .

Wonderful! I can turn off the Weather Channel now. Was hoping your absence was because you were on the road. We can relax now.