Kentucky: Hundreds stranded on Interstate for hours
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
United States
January 23, 2016 7:59am CST
Interstate I-75 is just a few miles from where I live. It is a busy road and it carries lots of travelers from Michigan and Ohio down here to the south. Any time we are on that interstate we see mostly Kentucky cars.
With the blizzard there is now a serious situation on I-75 in Kentucky. Motorists have been stranded there, dead stopped, in the southbound lanes since around 1:00 pm yesterday. The backup runs for 35 miles.
The vehicles include truckers (lots of truckers) and cars with individuals or families, many with kids. Stuck. Not moving. Some have run out of gas. Some are in need of medications. Food is just a dream. They are cold, tired and want to go home.
The interstate in that area is hilly and the combination of snow and ice and a big truck trying to go uphill can quickly cause such a problem. I feel bad for those people. I am trying not to think about important things like a full bladder. Oh my.
I hope helps gets to these people soon. It is a very dangerous situation.
Have you ever been stranded in a situation like this and if so how did you manage?
UPDATE: They got the road opened around 8:00 and everyone went on their way!
Photo: pixabay.com/en/kentucky-flag-state-america-us-31507/
14 people like this
13 responses
@Morleyhunt (21744)
• Canada
23 Jan 16
Having traveled in the winter. Number one, be prepared. This was not a surprise storm. They were advised to stay off the roads.
Over the years we have travelled in good weather and bad. We carry sleeping bags, water, food. If they tell us to stay off the roads we will hole up in a motel.
4 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
23 Jan 16
@Morleyhunt Sometimes being in the wrong place at the wrong time is inevitable. Sometimes stuff happens.
We used to travel back and forth from TN to NJ twice a year, once in winter. I always checked the weather. One year we stopped for the night in VA - I checked the weather in the am - all was clear down I-81 in VA. Then we ran into an ice storm and cars were flying off the highway. We got in back of a salt spreader and stayed behind him, when he got off, so did we and got a motel room for a few hours until the ice melted.
4 people like this
@Morleyhunt (21744)
• Canada
23 Jan 16
@AbbyGreenhill last winter we made the trek from NC back home. One 30 mile stretch took us over 2 hours. There were no accidents, no cars or trucks off the road. Later that day, as roads and conditions improved, people became idiots and we saw both occurring.
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
23 Jan 16
It's probably a big rig that caused it by the way they talked on tv.
4 people like this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
23 Jan 16
If this happens in a remote village in China, the villagers will be going around selling hot food, such as instant ramen with hot water, roasted chicken, and tea or other hot beverages.
At least those drivers and passengers will not get hungry and thirsty, though they have to pay a higher price.
2 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
23 Jan 16
No one can get to the road, I'm sure if they could they would gladly pay for food.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (37369)
• Toccoa, Georgia
23 Jan 16
Thank goodness, I have never been a part of something horrendous like this. I do honestly think it would be the worst thing to happen.
I do pray all the people involved will be ok.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (37369)
• Toccoa, Georgia
23 Jan 16
@AbbyGreenhill What makes that 35 mile stall so bad is the cold of the winter weather. I really don't like extreme cold and I really feel bad for the people stuck in that who have real young kids.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
23 Jan 16
@LeaPea2417 Can you imagine screaming/crying kids in a car for that many hours..OMG.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
23 Jan 16
We had a few situations going back and forth from TN to NJ - one time we left TN and ran smack into the heaviest fog I've seen. We had no choice but to drive and figured it would clear up - sure it did, 1/2 to the TN/VA line.
We left a motel in VA and would up on the interstate w/o lights - thank goodness the sun was almost up or we would have been run over.
Stuff happens. they were probably all very hungry and needed a restroom!
2 people like this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
23 Jan 16
this winter I wrote about that emergency car kit, this is my solution, I would have food, water, blankets etc. But not enough for all those people, that's scary
2 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
23 Jan 16
It's bad enough stuck in the car with another adult, but with kids...oh my. I have to check CNN to see if they got that road moving yet.
2 people like this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
23 Jan 16
@AbbyGreenhill I hope some people with snow mobiles can get some supplies in so people don't die
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
23 Jan 16
@Jessicalynnt They are gone, they got the road open.
2 people like this
@sallypup (61563)
• Centralia, Washington
23 Jan 16
That's an awful situation. I'm glad folks are getting out of it. There's a mountain Pass a couple of hours from us that is being closed often due to avalanche control and snow on the road. I do not travel that far until Spring but many many folks do and find themselves sitting on the highway for hours. The danger there is way too much for my nerves to handle so count me out!
2 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
24 Jan 16
Snow is a scary thing and anything can happen. Roads aside, just ice falling from a building/house can hit you in the head.....lots to think about.
1 person likes this
@sueznewz2 (10409)
• Alicante, Spain
23 Jan 16
Ohhh i'm glad of the update, and everything is moving again.... it would have been very serious if they were still out there overnight....
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
24 Jan 16
The one in PA was worse, they were there 24 hours and I think they are still getting the people to safety.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (83064)
• United States
23 Jan 16
I have never been stranded like that and it's pretty scary to think those people have been there for so long. I hope they are able to get them all off the interstate and that there's no fatalities.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
23 Jan 16
They cleared it up around 8 am.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
23 Jan 16
I can see where truckers would have the problem but with the people being aware of the news reports, they are dumb. At one time I owned a restaurant and opened at 4am. We didn't get notified of the impending blizzard until 10am. We closed the place and I got stuck trying to get employees home @AbbyGreenhill .
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
23 Jan 16
We have found ourselves in several weather situations, it happens, no matter how dump or smart people are.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
23 Jan 16
Things happen that sometimes you can't do a thing about. Been there, done that. As I said below:
We used to travel back and forth from TN to NJ twice a year, once in winter. I always checked the weather. One year we stopped for the night in VA - I checked the weather in the am - all was clear down I-81 in VA. Then we ran into an ice storm and cars were flying off the highway. We got in back of a salt spreader and stayed behind him, when he got off, so did we and got a motel room for a few hours until the ice melted. We left early since snow was predicted in PA but no one knew about the ice.
2 people like this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
23 Jan 16
@AbbyGreenhill We always flew somewhere during school vacations with the kids and later without. We must have weather luck, because we always took off as planned. I've driven home from school many times, when I taught, through unexpected storms. Once, I was in my sports car, on which we couldn't have snow tires, so I crept home, and luckily followed a snow plow/salt spreader truck. I just made it to my driveway and got stuck in the road. My hubby changed the gear and pushed me into the turn. It is scary. Even our SUVs can do nothing on ice.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
23 Jan 16
@AbbyGreenhill My husband is known as a weather nut. Even in the summers, he would call me to warn of possible thunderstorms at the beach. Therefore, I received that call daily. Lol!
1 person likes this
@hiru84 (942)
• Malaysia
24 Jan 16
I can think about this bad situation. you might be very abide for many times and haven't you any road for your journey?
@paigea (36316)
• Canada
23 Jan 16
I've had to leave the highway as the RCMP closed it due to ice. The closest town which we were able to drive to at least had no rooms left. We slept in the car. A few hours later the highway opened.
Another time a mountain highway was closed and we were able to get a room. Good thing because the highway was closed most of the next day too.
Another time we were sitting in a long line on the highway waiting for the highway to open. They were able to reroute all the cars to miss the hill that was causing the problem. But the transport trucks had to wait as we had to go under an underpass.
Be prepared. Warm stuff, water and a snack can go far. The bathroom is the worst problem. Keep tissue in the car.
And never pass up a chance to use a bathroom. and refuel the car.
And never pass up a chance to use a bathroom. and refuel the car.1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
24 Jan 16
My motto is never pass up a bathroom - and I don't when we are on the road! One summer we took a 'scenic' route to SC and we got on one back road that had nothing for 50 miles...we had just eaten lunch and thankfully we stopped at the last gas station or we never would have made it to the next one!
1 person likes this
@paigea (36316)
• Canada
24 Jan 16
@AbbyGreenhill my motto too. And I learned the hard way of course.
@whiteream (8567)
• United States
24 Jan 16
way too cold for something like that to happen. I hope everyone was aright.
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
24 Jan 16
There was no indication of any problems once they got off.
1 person likes this
@whiteream (8567)
• United States
25 Jan 16
@AbbyGreenhill That's good. I am sure they weren't happy about the delay but at least there were no other problems.
1 person likes this
