(Daily360.com) – A ‘superfog’ in Louisiana resulted in a 150 car pileup, two deaths, and several injuries. Videos from the scene of the event look like something out of a big budget disaster film. Cars and trucks crashed into each other, vehicles plunged into the water below a damaged bridge, and other cars were destroyed by a massive fire.
Superfog is the official term weather services use to describe the resulting condition when a dense fog combines with smoke. It creates a virtually zero visibility situation. Adding to the dangers of this fog was the almost complete lack of wind in that part of Louisiana at the time. The pileup occurred on the I-55 highway between LaPlace and Ponchatoula, just outside of New Orleans.
When the first collisions occurred a fire broke out that consumed dozens of vehicles. Emergency service personnel had to work quickly when they arrived to clear a truck carrying hazardous materials from the path of the fire. They were able to control the fire but the collisions continued to mount. Authorities say the I-55 highway will be closed for quite some time as vehicles are removed and the road can be surveyed and deemed safe for travel.
Three people were killed in Florida during a superfog event in 2022. Experts describe the phenomenon as though you had perfect vision and in a moment someone puts a hand in front of your eyes and cuts off your field of vision. Frequently, the smoke comes in from a nearby wildfire. As its small particles rapidly combine with those of the fog, the newly created mass becomes denser, larger and much thicker than either would be individually.
Authorities caution drivers that should they encounter superfog, they should go to their low beam headlights, decrease speed dramatically, make sure to the best of their ability to stay clear of other vehicles, avoid crossing traffic, put the windshield wipers on to increase vision somewhat, turn off the radio or other distractions, and try to listen for traffic that may not be visible.
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