High Winds Blow Over 7 Semis in Tennessee River Bridge

Discussion in 'Trucking Accidents' started by SilverBulletBand, Oct 26, 2019.

  1. x1Heavy

    x1Heavy Road Train Member

    34,017
    42,098
    Mar 5, 2016
    White County, Arkansas
    0
    When you are in a wind warned storm zone that you will be entering etc like say taking on a line of tornados that were reported west of Little Rock crossing the Arkansas near Maumelle. You know not to follow 40 to Conway just yet. You get dinner or a nap etc.

    Thats the problem. Too many people roll into a storm situation fat dumb and happy. A few years ago a EF4 200+ mph monster did follow the valley across I-40 and trashed all lanes of traffic leaving dozens crying and screaming in terror in what passes for a junk yard of wreckage. Its on video somewhere and that storm has been warned forever by everyone bending over backwards following the #### thing. It eventually totaled Vilonia on 64 bypass properly. Crushed a 10 million elementry school that was due to open in days. Concrete and steel. Twisted and flat.

    We at home followed that one on the internet for as long the power held up. When it went out we found a hidey hole.
     
    mjd4277 and Dave_in_AZ Thank this.
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. lovesthedrive

    lovesthedrive R.I.P.

    15,953
    54,481
    Nov 11, 2008
    Sorrento Maine
    0
    At least they blew over with out anyone else involved.
     
    Dave_in_AZ Thanks this.
  4. 201

    201 Road Train Member

    11,166
    22,648
    Apr 16, 2014
    high plains colorado
    0
    HA! Good one, putting us know-it-alls on the spot. I'm not sure what I'd do. Running empty always had it's concerns, I suppose if it was a blowin' and I was empty and coming up on a bridge, I'd slow down, but a blow over can happen to anyone with a box. I never trucked in high wind situations, like out west, but it's clearly a real concern. This has been posted before, but this driver had the save of the century and turn downwind, if you have the room,,I'm sure Walmart was their next stop.
     
    Studebaker Hawk and Dave_in_AZ Thank this.
  5. mjd4277

    mjd4277 Road Train Member

    12,446
    34,789
    Oct 4, 2015
    Fitchburg,MA
    0
    You can add Delta Flight 191,Eastern Flight 66 and USAir Flight 1016 to that list as well.
    USAir Flight 1016 - Wikipedia

    Eastern Air Lines Flight 66 - Wikipedia

    Delta Air Lines Flight 191 - Wikipedia
    Like Pan Am 759 mentioned above,every one of these accidents involved wind shear/microburst activity,with human error also being factored in.
     
    Studebaker Hawk Thanks this.
  6. mjd4277

    mjd4277 Road Train Member

    12,446
    34,789
    Oct 4, 2015
    Fitchburg,MA
    0
    Vilonia is no stranger to tornado activity-having been affected by the 2011 Super Outbreak and the 2014 wedge tornado.
    2011 Super Outbreak - Wikipedia

    Tornado outbreak of April 27–30, 2014 - Wikipedia
     
    wore out Thanks this.
  7. x1Heavy

    x1Heavy Road Train Member

    34,017
    42,098
    Mar 5, 2016
    White County, Arkansas
    0
    Don't I know it. And a dozen other twisters that walked by our neck of the woods give a take a few miles or less.

    Ive got video of one passing over head. Maybe a few hundred feet up. A very big one. Fortunately that one did not do anything that day. The problems begin when I try to harness firewire to a control software to get it off the tape. (Hi8 digital)
     
    mjd4277 Thanks this.
  8. 201

    201 Road Train Member

    11,166
    22,648
    Apr 16, 2014
    high plains colorado
    0
    And that's another thing, 7 empty trucks? Doesn't anybody haul a load anymore?:dontknow:
     
    Tall Mike and Studebaker Hawk Thank this.
  9. SilverBulletBand

    SilverBulletBand Light Load Member

    288
    230
    Dec 15, 2018
    Wetumpka, Alabama
    0
    DOT's NEED to install windsocks near the entrances of bridges and post the current wind speeds.
     
    allniter and x1Heavy Thank this.
  10. SilverBulletBand

    SilverBulletBand Light Load Member

    288
    230
    Dec 15, 2018
    Wetumpka, Alabama
    0
    DOT's NEED to install windsocks near the entrances of bridges and post the current wind speeds. Use solar panels to power the LED readouts of the wind speeds. Very cheap.
     
    allniter and x1Heavy Thank this.
  11. x1Heavy

    x1Heavy Road Train Member

    34,017
    42,098
    Mar 5, 2016
    White County, Arkansas
    0
    That will help.

    One bridge comes to mind in my experience CBBT of Norfolk to Tidewater Maryland. That's 30 miles of essentially ocean with several tunnels to accomodate ships. BIG ships. They are pretty strict with winds during nor'easters. If you are full load 80000 they will maybe allow you on there at up to 60 mph. But even that is a risk. And ban everything else depending on wind speeds.

    because of that experience I tend to use their chart when dealing with the Somerset PA windstorm question, NOAA issued wind warnings for Wheeling etc in the valleys and I'll just hold up in the old 76 up there and wait a while. No hurry.

    Ive already in my lifetime been pretty much blown off a bridge to be saved by the railing system which was just high enough and strong enough to hold my short mack and empty 40 foot container from falling over during a summer storm. It's the US 50 bay bridge westbound and it would have been either fatal or seriously hurt.

    The storm gusts smashed me out of my lane against that rail. Then proceeded to push me over. At 40 degrees Im on the fuel tank looking at a 10 foot fall to the steel grate. She came back down when the gust quit. Thankfully.
     
    Bud A., mjd4277 and 25(2)+2 Thank this.
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.