Super Fog Leads to Fatal Crash
Tragedy struck on a stretch of Interstate 10 near Michoud Boulevard in the eastern part of New Orleans, as a multi-vehicle accident unfolded amidst a unique meteorological phenomenon. One man lost his life in the incident, and several others sustained injuries in the early morning mishap, according to a statement by the New Orleans Police Department.
The accident occurred in the shadow of what meteorologists have dubbed “super fog.” This unusual event was brought about by a convergence of dense smoke hovering close to the ground and a thick blanket of fog, resulting in near-zero visibility for drivers along the affected section of the highway.
The consequences of this meteorological confluence were devastating, with the interstate being shut down in both directions near Michoud Boulevard following the crash, which took place prior to 5 a.m. CST on Tuesday. Local news outlet NOLA.com reported that multiple vehicles were involved in the collision, and numerous individuals required transportation to hospitals for medical attention.
US Meteorologist confirmed the presence of super fog during the incident, clarifying that it was “a fairly narrow band of dense smoke/fog that caused the poor visibility on I-10 earlier this morning. The combination of smoke from the ongoing fire in Bayou Sauvage/Michoud and fog drifted northwest over I-10.”
Benz went on to mention that satellite images revealed a plume of smoke extending northwestward over Lake Pontchartrain in southern Louisiana.
The National Weather Service office in New Orleans posted a stark warning on social media, indicating the perilous driving conditions caused by the trapped smoke near the surface. They cautioned, “The smoke is trapped near the surface and will severely reduce the visibility to near zero, making driving extremely hazardous if not impossible until it clears up.”
This incident recalls a previous occurrence in late October when a similar super fog event, resulting from the combination of marsh fire smoke and fog, led to a tragic pileup crash on I-55 in southern Louisiana, claiming eight lives and injuring dozens.
US Meteorologist shed light on the meteorological factors at play during such events. “During the late night and early morning hours, a temperature inversion sets up near the ground and can trap in smoke from nearby fires,” he explained. A temperature inversion arises when air temperatures increase with altitude. “When the air is humid enough, as it was Tuesday morning, the air cools and becomes saturated and allows fog to form at the same time that smoke is present.”
US Meteorologist further emphasized, “When both conditions are present like they were Tuesday morning, and a couple of weeks ago when a deadly pileup crash happened, super fog can develop,” leading to visibility dropping to near zero in such hazardous conditions.
The National Weather Service issued a dense smoke advisory for eastern Orleans and southeastern St. Tammany parishes due to the smoke’s confinement near the surface along I-10 around Irish Bayou, as reported on social media after 8:20 a.m. EST on Tuesday. The NWS office also noted that patchy dense fog had reduced visibility to 1/4 of a mile or less in certain areas, while light to moderate fog had limited visibility to 2 to 6 miles in others.
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