Dense Fog — Laurens, Georgia

2013-02-06 · Laurens, Georgia

Event narrative

Georgia State Patrol and several media outlets reported a multiple-vehicle accident along Interstate 16 at mile marker 38 near the Laurens/Twiggs county line. Twenty-seven vehicles, seven of them commercial trucks, were involved in the accident, which resulted in four fatalities and at least nine injuries.

Wider weather episode

On the morning of the 6th, surface high pressure was beginning to build into the area, with plentiful low-level moisture in place for the formation of patchy areas of very dense fog. Visibilities across central Georgia were reduced to a quarter mile or less in several areas. Lingering smoke combined with an area of dense fog to reduce visibility to less than 100 feet on Interstate 16 in far western Laurens county. These extremely poor visibilities led to a multiple-vehicle pileup at this location, with 27 vehicles involved, seven of them commercial trucks. One of the trucks was an empty fuel tanker; fumes inside the tanker exploded and caught fire. The accident resulted in four fatalities and at least nine injuries.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 436974. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.