Severe thunderstorms blasted southeastern Kansas and southwest Missouri, including parts of the Route 66 corridor, on Friday afternoon. I'm not aware of any damage to Route 66 landmarks. However, anyone traveling through the area should be aware of downed trees and other wind-blown debris on roadways. Joplin, Mo., especially got hammered, including the local TV … Continue reading Severe storms lash SE Kansas, SW Missouri
Category: Weather
Flooding closes Route 66 in northeastern Oklahoma
Northeastern Oklahoma has been deluged by rain, including seven inches in one day in Mayes and Rogers counties. KJRH-TV in Tulsa reported Friday that parts of Route 66 in Claremore were closed because of high water. I've heard there was flooding on 66 around Chelsea, too. The Tulsa World reported that Route 66 had reopened … Continue reading Flooding closes Route 66 in northeastern Oklahoma
To hell and back
As many of you probably know, a bunch of wind-whipped wildfires scorched central Oklahoma earlier in the week and in some cases caused widespread property damage. The Tulsa World uncovered the story about dramatic fire-fighting efforts near the Route 66 town of Wellston, Okla. It reads almost like a Hollywood thriller. I commend it to … Continue reading To hell and back
Snowstorm hammers Route 66’s midsection
Late March is usually a safe time of the year to travel old Route 66, barring a thunderstorm or two. Not this year. There are currently blizzard warnings or winter storm warnings from central New Mexico, the entire Texas Panhandle to most of western and central Oklahoma. According to the Quay County Sun, U.S. 54 … Continue reading Snowstorm hammers Route 66’s midsection
Snow in the desert
Well, this quote from the Kingman (Ariz.) Daily Miner is impressive: "This is the worst snowstorm that DPS has ever had to deal with in Northern Arizona," said Commander Dean Nyhart, DPS Northern Bureau Highway Division. According to a report in the Arizona Republic, the northern part of the state received between 29 and 32 … Continue reading Snow in the desert
Wind power near Route 66
Construction of a wind turbine on a "gob nob" mining-waste hill near Farmersville, Ill., has been finished and will begin producing power this week, reports the Springfield Journal-Register. Art’s Motel & Restaurant owner Barry Lambachia, who also can see the gob knob from his office, said he his hopeful the novelty of a wind turbine … Continue reading Wind power near Route 66
Rough winter for Arizona
The winter season's hardly begun, and it's already been a rough one for some folks in northern Arizona. In the Route 66 town of Kingman, barely a week after an unusual snowstorm struck there, high winds caused power outages and structural damage, reports the Kingman Daily Miner. To top it off, temperatures also plummeted. That … Continue reading Rough winter for Arizona
Snow in the desert
Here's something rare -- measurable snow fell in the Route 66 desert town of Kingman, Ariz., on Wednesday. According to the Kingman Daily Miner, about 3 inches of snow fell just south of the city before nightfall on Wednesday. Areas such as Peach Springs, a Route 66 settlement north of the city, saw between 1.5 … Continue reading Snow in the desert
Flooding strikes St. Louis area
Reports out of St. Louis are grim: three people dead and widespread damage from up to six inches of rain caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ike. Flooding affected one Route 66 alignment in the St. Louis region, Manchester Road. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: The heavy rains flooded large sections of Brentwood on … Continue reading Flooding strikes St. Louis area
Tribe offering aid to flood victims
Hualapai Tourism, the owners of Grand Canyon West and the Skywalk, is raising funds for the neighboring Havasupai tribe that was devastated by recent flooding in the Grand Canyon, reports Elizabeth Mitchell for About.com. Starting Labor Day weekend on Saturday, August 30, The Hualapai Tribe will donate 10% of proceeds gathered by Hualapai Tourism for … Continue reading Tribe offering aid to flood victims