Drove from 200 miles one way from Fort Smith Arkansas to Oklahoma City. Got on I-40 west about 10 a.m. on my way there. Map quest said it would take about 4 hours one way.
First 100 miles it was really windy, radio said 50 to 60 mph wind gust and that Oklahoma City was having a dust storm ? Have never seen a dust storm in my 64 years of living.
The 50 to 60 mph winds was gusting bad enough that I could feel the truck swerving. Had my left hand at 11 o’clock and right hand at 5 o’clock on the steering wheel with a firm grip to keep the truck from swerving as bad.
Semi’s pulling box trailers seemed to be having the trailers slightly blown enough that you could see the trailers rock slightly. Trailers that I guess that might not have been loaded as heavy tilted more than others. But the majority of the traffic flow was driving 75 mph including myself on the way to Oklahoma City.
Once I got within a 100 miles of Oklahoma City I was in the dust storm which was more like a heavy brown fog as far as you could see in any direction. Couldn’t see any blue sky no where, just a dust fog. Once I got within 30 miles of downtown Oklahoma City which I think was within the Oklahoma City limits, some Semis were driving 60 mph with their emergency flashers on. But only saw three or four driving like that. Majority was still running 75 mph including my self.
Was headed to the Wylie trailer store to get parts for my herbicide sprayer. It is located right off the I-40 interstate less than a 1/4 mile but close to the middle of Oklahoma City I think. Thought that I might have a hard time finding my off ramp. So I found what I thought would avoid that problem that was to take 240 West that swung around the main part of Oklahoma City and took me directly to my destination. Mapquest said it was 20 miles there if I took I-40 or 18 if I took 240 West.
Boy I thought I had made the right decision to take 240 West, had a lot less traffic up until I got within 8 miles of my destination and all three lanes of 240 come to a stop because of a wreck and I was stuck in traffic for over an hour. Once I finally got to my destination I had made my mind up to take 1-40 East on my way back, Heavy traffic or not. I thought if they have a wreck on 40 they won’t take over an hour to open the freeway back up.
Was I surprised when I got on I-40 heading East to find the had the damn freeway way almost completely being reworked with barricades and construction going on for 20 miles just about to where I had got off of I-40 onto 240 West. They had sections of 40 East cut down to two lanes with Concrete barriers on both sides, Traffic flow was 55 mph that came to a intersection that you had to flip a coin as to which one might be heading East that luckily for me I guessed the right one heading East. And the whole time thinking my lucky stars I chose 240 West coming into Oklahoma City instead of coming in on 40 because I have a feeling I would have not found my Exit to where the store I was headed to would have been.
There was a gas Station across the freeway right before where I had to get on I-40 East so I decided to fuel up before heading back. Wind was blowing so hard by then I had to stand as close as possible to the pump in order to put my debit card in to get fuel. Which I found out was not working. So had to walk inside of the Store, pay cash for my fuel.
By the time I got on 1-40 the dust had got a lot worse. The brow fog was a lot more dense, could still see for miles a head of me but the wind gust had seemed to be blowing more than any 60 mph. Read on the internet this morning that the wind gust there was 70 to 80 mph which sounded more like what it was. And read about a 38 car pile up on a freeway somewhere. Might have been the one that hung me up for over an hour.
Once they police got 240 West the freeway I was stuck on moving. They just started rerouting 240 West traffic to an off ramp keeping the 8 miles that I needed to take close d but that was OK ! Because the old true and faithful Mapquest no matter how much I dislike modern technology got me to my destination.
Had a terrible trip but think I was part of a once in a life time event. By witnessing an event that few people will ever see. I kept thinking once I got 70 miles or so East of Oklahoma City the storm would be behind me but no. The dust storm continued all the way back to Fort Smith where it was getting dark by the time I was getting there. But I would say the dust and wind gust was not quite as bad starting at around 50 miles before I got off or I-40 at Fort Smith but was every bit as noticeable that the brown fog of dust was everywhere along with a strong wind.
