If you're driving on Route 66 through southwest Missouri, you may encounter this. The flooding on the Mother Road, shown in a photo by Route66TVOnline.com near Carterville on Saturday, receded over time. But it's raining again today, and that area is highly susceptible for additional flooding after eight-plus inches of rain fell on parts of … Continue reading Flooding on Missouri 66
Category: Weather
Storms wash out part of Route 66
The remnants of Tropical Storm Erin were hard on the ol' Mother Road in at least one spot this week. According to the Lebanon (Mo.) Daily Record: A portion of Route 66, west of the Gasconde River is missing after Monday’s flooding when the culverts that normally allowed water to flow through with each were … Continue reading Storms wash out part of Route 66
Notes from the road
I got a call a few days ago from Bill Kinder, co-owner of the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, N.M., informing me that all of his motel's neon lights have been repaired. The motel's neon (and others along Route 66 in Tucumcari) were damaged this spring by a severe hailstorm. Missouri Route 66er Tonya Pike … Continue reading Notes from the road
Flooding may cut off Miami, Okla.
Those who are traveling Route 66 through northeastern Oklahoma may need to make alternative plans over the next few days because of flooding. According to the Tulsa World: By the evening of July 4 the Neosho River is expected to crest 1.25 feet higher than it was during historic floods in 1986, Spurgeon said in … Continue reading Flooding may cut off Miami, Okla.
Too much rain
A travel advisory for roadies planning on driving through Oklahoma: an abundance of rainy weather is causing flooding in eastern Oklahoma County, which is part of the Oklahoma City metro area. According to KOCO-TV: This large square area and many of the roads within it, including Route 66, are currently affected by high water. The … Continue reading Too much rain
El Reno suffers storm damage
A storm struck the Route 66 town of El Reno, Okla., on Tuesday, causing damage around the southern part of the city, reports the El Reno Tribune. I talked to a spokeswoman at the El Reno Chamber of Commerce, and they were not aware of damage to historical buildings, including the downtown area. The Tribune … Continue reading El Reno suffers storm damage
High winds knock off part of Rialto Theatre sign
Nasty wind gusts Sunday afternoon knocked off part of the decorative scrollwork of the main sign of the Rialto Square Theatre, located on Route 66 in Joliet, Ill., reported the Herald-News. Fortunately, no one was hurt when the sign chunk came crashing down, although an adjacent street was closed. Workers were already busy repairing the … Continue reading High winds knock off part of Rialto Theatre sign
Late freeze hits Missouri vineyards hard
Because of this week's hard freeze, a lot of farmers in the Midwest are hurting. That includes vineyards along Route 66 in Missouri. Here's this excerpt by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Jim Anderson, director of the Missouri Wine and Grape Board, said the state's wine crop was 90 percent or more destroyed. Last year, the … Continue reading Late freeze hits Missouri vineyards hard
Severe storms strike Texas Panhandle
According to the Amarillo Globe-News: [T]hree tractor-trailers were tangled together when what is believed to be a tornado crossed Interstate 40 between Groom and McLean. According to DPS, there were two injuries out of one of the trucks, one with serious injuries and the other with critical injuries. The westbound lane was closed. At least … Continue reading Severe storms strike Texas Panhandle
Tucumcari’s neon damaged
Severe thunderstorms struck the border lands of Texas and New Mexico on Friday, resulting in tornadoes in Logan and Clovis, N.M., and hailstorms in the Route 66 town Tucumcari, N.M., that knocked out many of the famed neon signs in town, according to the Quay County Sun. Bill Kinder, co-owner of the Blue Swallow Motel … Continue reading Tucumcari’s neon damaged