I was going to post this while I was out on the road but I think the server was down...part of my job for the ambulance service I work for requires me to drive from downtown to the East End, Clark County, and Floyd County each night. This gives me an excellent picture of road conditions (not to mention working in our headquarters that also contains the dispatch center), so I thought I would put this up as a first person report to warn others. I've had to go through multiple driving course including an evasive one that required passing an obstacle course, and I must say that I had to use every skill I have been drilled in during the early morning hours!
There are several factors making driving conditions hazardous this morning. Rain and rapidly melting snow have caused flash flooding in several areas, especially around Jeffersonville. Watch out for pooling water on all roadways potentially causing hydroplaning, but especially I-65. With less effective drainage than the other interstates, water has pooled dangerously high in some spots. I only had to drive from the UofL campus area of I-65 up to I-265 in Clark County but encountered several very deep pockets. The worst of these was at around the 10th St./Staniford exits in Clark County going both directions at over a foot deep. Vehicles that lay lower to the ground may want to avoid these areas as the high waters have already even damaged ambulances the last I heard. You will also more than likely see in news reports this morning that branches and power lines are down all over the place from the weight of the ice, and this could not be more accurate. I'm not sure if any of these have reopened yet but parts of State Roads 111 and 211 in Indiana were shut down due to fallen branches and also the intersection of 10th & Main in Jeffersonville due to several downed lines. Many of the side roads also have tree parts covering them, I had to change my path more than once to get around them. Other than that, most of the roadways still have an ice/slush mixture on them that should not be underestimated, there are many patches hiding purely ice that could cause potential spinouts. We are anticipating potential refreezing on the roadways as the temperatures will continue to drop throughout the day, so please watch out especially on and under overpasses and bridges as they will go first . I did see the salt trucks at work by 4am so hopefully this will help curb the severity of the situation, at least on the interstates. Planning extra time to any commute would be wise at this point because of all the different factors at play, a route that normally may take me around 90 minutes took more than three hours (in an E350 model van I must add). So be safe, stay at home if you can, and I hope everyone has a great day!
