Smokey I-10 crash in New Orleans kills 1
- Low visibility near New Orleans forced officials to close part of Interstate 10.
- Smoke from nearby fires is partly a reason for visibility concerns.
- A reflective layer traps smoke near the surface.
At least one person is dead after a crash near New Orleans that reduced visibility due to wildfire smoke.
Police say 11 vehicles were involved in three accidents. Eight people were injured and one man died after being taken to hospital.
The first call about the incident came to emergency services at 4:37 a.m. EDT.
Interstate 10 was closed in the New Orleans area after the accident. The National Meteorological Directorate issued a Heavy smoke warning “Limited fog” was also observed in the area.
It was smoke Mostly clear By noon, however, conditions remained foggy, according to the National Weather Service. The freeway on the east side has reopened but the westbound lanes are expected to remain closed until late this afternoon.
“This was another example of how dangerous weather can occur in the absence of a storm,” said Jonathan Erdmann, chief meteorologist at Weather.com.
Thick fog is is expected The NRA said the virus will spread later in the week and will be more widespread.
Fog covers cars on eastbound Interstate 10 in New Orleans on Tuesday, November 7, 2023.
(Chase Anthony Ward via Facebook)
Just two weeks ago, haze and smoke from nearby fires combined to form a “super haze” in and around New Orleans, killing seven people on Interstate 55.
“In Tuesday’s case, smoke from a nearby fire was trapped near the ground due to reflection,” Erdmann said. “This is a blanket of warm air directly above the ground that usually forms at night when winds are light and the sky is relatively free of clouds and the ground radiates heat faster than the air above it.”
Officials advised motorists to avoid I-10 around the Michoud Boulevard area in northeast New Orleans. Three hours after the closure was announced, congestion reached 10 miles, according to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.
It was not immediately clear how many vehicles were involved in the accident, or how many were injured.
This is a developing story. Please check back often for updates.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment, and the importance of science in our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
