A “super fog” phenomenon in Louisiana has led to a massive multi-car pileup on Interstate 55 near New Orleans, resulting in reduced visibility, as reported by the police. According to the Louisiana State Police, the accident, involving over 158 vehicles, occurred on Monday morning due to heavy fog conditions. In consequence, a 24-mile-long stretch of Interstate 55, which crosses Lake Pontchartrain near New Orleans, is expected to remain closed indefinitely. The crash also resulted in the closure of Interstate 10 and Interstate 310. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards confirmed the tragic accident, stating that seven fatalities have been confirmed and more than 25 injured individuals have been transported to nearby hospitals with varying degrees of injuries. It is possible that additional fatalities may be discovered once the crash site is completely cleared.
For hours after the accident, emergency teams worked to clear debris from both northbound and southbound lanes. Additionally, a portion of the crash site on I-55 caught fire shortly after the initial incident. The “super fog” was caused by a combination of smoke from marsh fires and dense fog that developed early Monday morning, leading to extremely low visibility. In some areas, visibility reached near-zero levels, posing dangerous driving conditions.
Super fogs typically form when condensed water vapor mingles with smoke and moisture released from damp organic materials smoldering from nearby fires. The National Weather Service states that visibility can be reduced to less than 10 feet during these weather events. In recent days, these super fogs have been occurring in the region, with the locations of the densest fog and most hazardous conditions changing daily.
The localized nature of the fog phenomenon makes it especially perilous when it develops near or over highways. This is because visibility conditions can rapidly deteriorate within short distances, creating a hazardous combination of sudden low to near-zero visibility and vehicles travelling at high speeds on the highway. Furthermore, limited visibility hampers a driver’s ability to respond to changing road conditions.
The National Weather Service issued a dense fog advisory for a large portion of southeastern Louisiana on Monday morning, encompassing the area from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. Drivers were advised by the state police to use low-beam headlights if their visibility was less than 500 feet. However, as of mid-morning Monday, the fog had dissipated and all fog alerts were cancelled. Although the presence of smoke from ongoing marsh fires may persist in the area, significant fog is not anticipated due to less favorable weather conditions on Monday night.
While morning fog is not uncommon for this time of year in the region, over 86% of the state is currently experiencing extreme drought conditions, which elevate the risk of wildfires. This could result in more instances of super fog in the coming days and weeks as cooler temperatures set in and the drought and wildfire risk persist.
In addition, Louisiana continues to grapple with devastating drought and wildfire conditions. 60% of the state is classified as experiencing exceptional drought, the highest level of concern according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Just three months ago, none of the state was listed under this category.
Given the combination of wildfire smoke and dense fog, Louisiana Governor Edwards emphasized the need for extreme caution when travelling in the affected areas. State troopers are currently notifying families and investigating the exact cause of the crash. The St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office directed media inquiries to the Louisiana State Police. Further information is not yet available, and the Louisiana State Police have not responded to ABC News’ request for comments.
