After hurricane drive to Disney.....HELP!!!

Mommoo

Earning My Ears
Joined
Aug 25, 2013
Hello fellow drivers. Leaving for Disney tomorrow. Because of flooding we are not sure if our regular route is viable yet. Coming from central Pa., usually go I81, I77, I26 then 95. Read on I95 app that I26 is open, not sure of 95. Alternate route is I81, I75, to Atlanta, would rather not do this but want to be safe. It's been hard to get any information today to make a decision. Thanks!!
 
North Carolina authorities are asking people to avoid NC altogether. They've had 40 inches of rain in some parts of NC, and I doubt than any of us realize how much water that is.

Not only because of road closures and the fact that the worst flooding is still to come -- but in situations like you have in SC and NC, if you're not part of the solution, you are part of the PROBLEM. Vacationers just passing through really make rescue and recovery efforts much more difficult.

I would definitely take the I-75 route, and even that may be subject to real issues. The storm is still dumping rain, and a lot of it is on the west side of the Appalachians. You could get flooding anywhere through the Shenandoah Valley or even south of Knoxville. It is possible that you'd have to divert even further west.
 
Here's what is on the NCDOT page

Due to flooding in southern, central and eastern NC DOT advises motorists not travel through these parts of the state.
Travel should be completely avoided in areas south of US 64 and east of I-73/I-74.

Several sections of I-95 and I-40 are flooded.
I-95 Southbound traffic from Virginia should use US 64 west (Exit 138) to I-540 west to I-40 west to US 321 south to I-85 south. Follow directions in South Carolina to re-access I-95
 
I'm on my way back right now from WDW. NCDOT said to avoid NC so we're taking 75 to Atlanta and then to 81 and across 78 to NJ. I'll update later how the driving conditions are. Right now still in Florida and it's hot and sunny.
 


Keeping an eye on this thread and would appreciate any updates as well. We are planning on leaving Thursday from NJ.
 
Hi there! Good luck with your drive! Do you know how much time that route would add to your trip?

(Sorry I tried to quote the above person driving from FL back to NJ)
 
My parents just rerouted through Atlanta, up through Tennesee and Columbus, OH to get back to NY. They didn't want to get stuck in either bad weather or without the ability to get a hotel room. They left Orlando at 10:30AM Saturday and arrived home at 8:00 PM with a few pit stops and an overnight in Athens, TN.

They said that there were signs redirecting them away from the I-26/I-95 Corridor due to the Hurricane.

I'd be safe and avoid it altogether. Adding some time to drive around it is going to be safer and easier than trying to plow through a storm-ravaged area.
 


My parents just rerouted through Atlanta, up through Tennesee and Columbus, OH to get back to NY. They didn't want to get stuck in either bad weather or without the ability to get a hotel room. They left Orlando at 10:30AM Saturday and arrived home at 8:00 PM with a few pit stops and an overnight in Athens, TN.

They said that there were signs redirecting them away from the I-26/I-95 Corridor due to the Hurricane.

I'd be safe and avoid it altogether. Adding some time to drive around it is going to be safer and easier than trying to plow through a storm-ravaged area.
Please tell your parents they are ROCK STARS! :cool1::cheer2::banana:

If more people would follow the advice of authorities who know what they are doing, we'd have fewer tragedies like this:
  • "The dead included a 1-year-old boy swept away from his mother as they tried to escape their car amid floodwaters. The woman had driven around barricades to reach a closed road, the sheriff’s office in Union County, near North Carolina’s border with South Carolina, said on Facebook."
That toddler was just one of the 23 people who have died in the Carolinas as a result of Florence.

As a person who has worked in several major hurricane recoveries, I urge everyone to avoid NC/SC and let the emergency responders do their jobs.

Don't become another victim to rescue, or another sightseeing tourist in the way.
 
We are leaving from just east of Toronto tomorrow afternoon.. we originally had planned on going the 79/77/26/95 route but have decided to go I-75 to avoid any issues and there are people that need to be on those roads for more important reasons then a Disney trip we are taking so I am glad to tack an extra hour of driving for those reasons
 
We live along I75 in Central KY and noticed an uptick in travel late last week, specifically in semi traffic. I'd add a some extra time in case backups occur as there definitely is some extra traffic here now. It would also be advisable to avoid the big cities at rush hour, even more than before.
 
We live along I75 in Central KY and noticed an uptick in travel late last week, specifically in semi traffic. I'd add a some extra time in case backups occur as there definitely is some extra traffic here now. It would also be advisable to avoid the big cities at rush hour, even more than before.
Semi drivers are professionals. This is not their first rodeo. Watch and learn from them.
 
Hmm. I wondered why there was so much traffic for a Saturday in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area?

Not travelling southeast for a while, I'm asking this for general information.

Y'all are suggesting coming all the way over to I-75 in Cincinnati. Any reason why these routes aren't feasible from the Northeast?

1) I-81 all the way down to I-40. I-40 east to I-26 in Asheville. I-26 all the way down to I-95. (Is that too close to the hurricane/flood zone?)

2) I-81 all the way down to I-40. I-40 west to I-75 in Knoxville. I-75 down to Florida Turnpike. (Avoids NC completely. However, is there flooding in the Virginia mountains?)

BTW, while I'm here, a few tips about I-75 for those who don't travel it.

1) Take the bypass (I-475) in Macon, GA. No, it is not longer. I-75 actually juts into Macon then out again. I-475 is more a straight shot.

2) The Florida Welcome Station along I-75 has the same free orange juice as the Welcome Station on I-95. (At least, I think that's correct. I've never had the orange juice on I-95.)

3) You probably know to avoid the major cities (Cincinnati, Atlanta) during rush hour.

4) Cincinnati travel (something I know too well). If you're coming in from the Northeast, I'm assuming you're taking I-71 from Columbus. If you're not coming in during rush hour, I'd just take I-75 downtown and pick up I-75 there. If you are, take I-275 east around and pick up I-75 in Northern Kentucky. (Note: I-71 and I-75 are the same road for about the first 20 miles in Kentucky.)

5) Columbus travel. If you're heading toward NJ, Philadelphia, NYC; don't take I-70 directly to I-71. Take I-270 to connect between the two interstates. Follow the signs to Cincinnati (or Wheeling, WV; if you're going home).

6) While in the Cincinnati are, stop for lunch or supper at one of our chili parlors (Skyline, Gold Star, Camp Washington Chili...only one location, but it's the best). There's a Skyline or Gold Star Chili at nearly every exit between Kings Island and Florence, KY.

HTH. PM me if you have any questions.
 
Hmm. I wondered why there was so much traffic for a Saturday in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area?

Not travelling southeast for a while, I'm asking this for general information.

Y'all are suggesting coming all the way over to I-75 in Cincinnati. Any reason why these routes aren't feasible from the Northeast?

1) I-81 all the way down to I-40. I-40 east to I-26 in Asheville. I-26 all the way down to I-95. (Is that too close to the hurricane/flood zone?)

2) I-81 all the way down to I-40. I-40 west to I-75 in Knoxville. I-75 down to Florida Turnpike. (Avoids NC completely. However, is there flooding in the Virginia mountains?)

BTW, while I'm here, a few tips about I-75 for those who don't travel it.

1) Take the bypass (I-475) in Macon, GA. No, it is not longer. I-75 actually juts into Macon then out again. I-475 is more a straight shot.

2) The Florida Welcome Station along I-75 has the same free orange juice as the Welcome Station on I-95. (At least, I think that's correct. I've never had the orange juice on I-95.)

3) You probably know to avoid the major cities (Cincinnati, Atlanta) during rush hour.

4) Cincinnati travel (something I know too well). If you're coming in from the Northeast, I'm assuming you're taking I-71 from Columbus. If you're not coming in during rush hour, I'd just take I-75 downtown and pick up I-75 there. If you are, take I-275 east around and pick up I-75 in Northern Kentucky. (Note: I-71 and I-75 are the same road for about the first 20 miles in Kentucky.)

5) Columbus travel. If you're heading toward NJ, Philadelphia, NYC; don't take I-70 directly to I-71. Take I-270 to connect between the two interstates. Follow the signs to Cincinnati (or Wheeling, WV; if you're going home).

6) While in the Cincinnati are, stop for lunch or supper at one of our chili parlors (Skyline, Gold Star, Camp Washington Chili...only one location, but it's the best). There's a Skyline or Gold Star Chili at nearly every exit between Kings Island and Florence, KY.

HTH. PM me if you have any questions.
University of Cincinnati has a football game at home on Sat so there will be extra traffic on 75
 
As of this morning (Tuesday), there are still fairly large sections of I-95 in NC and a smaller section in SC that are still closed. I'd plan on the western route.
 
We left WDW at about 9 am yesterday. Took the toll road to 75 and 75 all the way through GA to Chattanooga and then to 81. Stopped in Bristol TN for the night at about 10:30. Now back on 81 through VA. Traffic was good yesterday, no problems with weather. Signs everywhere to avoid NC. It's a longer route but safer. I saw on the news that they had tornados yesterday in Richmond, which is I95. I'll be home tonight.
 
Just saw on the news there are still whole towns in NC under water. Facebook has a picture of I 40 that shows a river not an interstate. Suggestions of I 81 or 85 to Atlanta to I 75 for those heading south from North East might be a much better way to go. The situations in NC and SC are going to take a long time to clear and clean up
 
University of Cincinnati has a football game at home on Sat so there will be extra traffic on 75

That's true. However, UC football traffic doesn't affect traffic that much, even on the interstates. And if you're coming in from the northeast, you wouldn't come within five miles of Nippert Stadium (where the Bearcats play). If you don't take the I-275 bypass around, you would come in via I-71 and pick up I-75 downtown. Nippert Stadium is 5-6 miles up I-75.

Another potential route....take I-71 until you almost get to downtown. Then take I-471 across the Ohio River into Kentucky. I-471 to I-275, then west on I-275 until you reach I-75. Slightly longer, but you avoid downtown and the I-75 cut-in-the-hill.
 

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