Every Friday, FreightWaves takes a look at the past week or so on social media, highlighting images in trucking, transportation and weather. This week features beer lost in a truck rollover, vehicles stuck in Southern floodwaters, a memorial traveling on a big rig and more.
Party foul
An 18-wheeler rolled over Wednesday in west-central Wisconsin, spilling cases of Leinenkugel Oktoberfest beer onto the side of a highway, according to WEAU-TV in Eau Claire.
According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, the rollover happened shortly after 9 a.m. CT and took nearly six hours to clean up along the eastbound side of Interstate 94 near Hixton, about 40 miles southeast of Eau Claire. Authorities reopened the right lane of I-94 at about 3 p.m.
The truck driver, who suffered minor injuries, was cited for inattentive driving. No other vehicles were involved in the accident.
Southern soaker
Periods of torrential rain have been drenching the South all week. A slow-moving front plus deep tropical moisture have combined to produce relentless downpours and flash flooding that has been blamed for four deaths in Alabama. Floods also hit parts of Georgia, Florida and the Carolinas.
According to the National Weather Service, some areas have received 8 to 12 inches of rain since last weekend. One of these places was Panama City, Florida, where a total of 11.88 inches accumulated Saturday through Thursday. A little more than 7 inches of that fell on Thursday alone, leading to many flooded roads. Most of the region should dry out this weekend.
Moveable memorial
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s (VVMF) The Wall That Heals rolled into Corona, California, this week. A replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, The Wall That Heals travels across the country in a big rig. Since its dedication in 1996, the display has been seen in nearly 700 communities, spreading the memorial’s healing legacy to millions of people.
The wall is hauled in a 53-foot trailer and consists of more than 140 panels weighing 80 pounds each. The VVMF has partnered with the Truckload Carriers Association to make sure drivers are available to keep the tour going each year. The rest of this year’s schedule is available here.
Winter wonderland (in fall)
A few inches of snow fell Wednesday morning in northeastern Utah, covering the slopes and some roads in the Uinta Mountains. This range, a subrange of the Rockies, is east of Salt Lake City and stretches into a small portion of southern Wyoming. The Uintas have the distinction of being the highest mountain range that runs east to west in the contiguous United States. Its tallest point is Kings Peak, standing 13,528 feet above sea level.
Related: 5 states with toughest chain laws for truckers
An approaching storm could dump up to 12 inches of new snow in the Uintas on Saturday, followed by a larger snowstorm next week across the central and northern Rockies. The second storm could produce more than 12 inches of snow in some spots, along with gusty winds, blowing snow and reduced visibility. Look for forecast updates on the FreightWaves website and social media accounts.
Beauty shot
This week’s beauty shot features a rainbow at Jack Edwards Airport in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Nick Austin.
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