Early Tuesday morning, a “superfog” event occurred near Irish Bayou, northeast of New Orleans, as a result of the combination of wildfire smoke from nearby marsh fires and heavy fog. This led to near-zero visibility conditions for drivers on Interstate-10, resulting in multiple accidents and one fatality, according to the New Orleans Police Department.
The near-zero visibility conditions overwhelmed motorists within minutes, leading to several victims being taken to the hospital and sections of I-10 being closed in both directions. The National Weather Service warned drivers to stay off the roads and issued a dense fog advisory for eastern New Orleans and southeast St. Tammany parishes.
Although the fog and smoke began to clear out by 11 a.m., some hazy conditions lingered in the region. This was the second such superfog incident near New Orleans in two weeks, with the previous event causing a 158-vehicle pileup that resulted in seven deaths and numerous injuries.
In response to the superfog incidents, the New Orleans Police Department urged drivers to notify them of hazardous conditions in the future. Lt. Wayne DeLarge emphasized the lack of prior notification about the superfog, attributing it to the extreme drought in the region, which is expected to persist into winter and exacerbate wildfire conditions, increasing the risk of future superfog events.
