<p>I don’t have first hand info to share yet - D is still packing - but if everyone wants to post as they hear it might be helpful.</p>
<p>I am told that I 59 is all clear. That doesn’t take D towards home, but if need be she’ll take the long way</p>
<p>D says traffic is extremely heavy with everyone trying to leave and no working traffic lights. If anyone knows the secret routes out please share.</p>
<p>be safe!</p>
<p>Best bet is to stay off McFarland and roads connecting to it. If going to campus get off at the downtown exit (71 B) and take 359 up to Jack Warner Parkway and then enter campus up by Rose Towers. Same thing goes for the reverse.</p>
<p>If anyone knows if gas is available anywhere in Alabama it would be great to know. D is going to start traveling in am and has half a tank of gas in a Honda Civic. (Ohio bound)</p>
<p>Have talked with family in Birmingham and she states no gas anywhere. So how far will she have to travel up 65? I know the Cullman and Huntsville areas were hit hard !</p>
<p>Any input would be appreciated the department of transportation info is just giving road closers.</p>
<p>Hi All! D has been checking in on her way home. She said that once they got on 59 it was clear to Birmingham, then 65 was clear up to Athens. Traffic was light & debris was cleared from the highways.</p>
<p>They stopped for gas in Athens. A tanker got off the highway and they followed it to the gas station and got in line. Contrary to what we’d been hearing, there is power in the Athens area. They also ate at a restaurant there.</p>
<p>DH just said that she called and were at exit 351 on 65 north and they should be coming straight home.</p>
<p>Thanks so much pretty sure she could get to Athens! Not sure about Tenn. state line since not much available for about 20 more miles…Or is that just me!</p>
<p>Omama: she said there was a 40 minute wait for gas in Athens. Apparently one gas station had power and the other one didn’t so they couldn’t pump the gas up. </p>
<p>Let us know how she’s doing! D got home about 1-2 hours ago. So glad the ride was uneventful.</p>
<p>We have full power down here along Alabama Hwy 69 S, so there are plenty of stations with barely any lines, at least that’s what it looked like when I drive by them today. The grocery stores (Food World, Publix, Winn Dixie) are at full operation. I don’t know what kind of supplies shortage, if any, they may have.</p>
<p>RobD, Our girls must have been at Athens about the same time. Mine was at a station around 4:00 or so when a tanker pulled up. She was with a friend and they stopped to eat in Franklin, got to the house around 8:45. We are 100 miles north of Nashville. So happy to have her home, as I’m sure you are happy to have your DD home too.
We were on our way to rescue them when they called to say they had gas. We turned around in Nashville traffic to head back.
What a streesful 24 hours for all.</p>
<p>I am headed to pick up son tomorrow and am taking 2- 5 gallon cans of gas with me. Son didnt fill up recently and doesnt think he has enough gas to get out of town so we can find a gas station.</p>
<p>Gas is readily available in Northport (other side of the river).</p>
<p>Once you get to I20, roads are fine. With Obama here today, the Ttown streets have detours.</p>
<p>DD headed out this morning and did make it to the Tenn stateline before she fueled up.</p>
<p>She will return to Tuscaloosa next week. 12 hour drive. Thanks for all the info and M2K so glad to see your always insightful posts again I was worried about you!</p>
<p>I hope your son gets to return for graduation. Will he be attending a new school for his masters?</p>
<p>Tried to get gas right before Tuscaloosa, I believe in Fosters. No gas or power this morning. Took the road there toward campus. Wound up going past Stillman College. Eventually got on Jack Warner, then over the river to Rice Mine to the storage unit, before hitting campus. Reversed the route to get to campus, taking Jack Warner behind Rose Towers then on to campus. Thanks NJ and feenotype for the driving tips!</p>
<p>Avoid McFarland and University. Road closures. </p>
<p>69 S, Lake Lurleen, seemed to be good routes, though traffic, but at least you can get through.</p>
<p>Safe travels, everyone.</p>
<p>FYI: As I was leaving work in Nashville yesterday, the TDOT smart signs had the message “Those traveling to Alabama should consider refueling now.”</p>
<p>My DS and I drove up to Prattville and are spending the night. (DS spent the day gathering donations and loading his vehicle. It is full and we are blessed.) We are planning to dive to Tuscaloosa in the morning and take the goods to the DKE house for “UA Greek Relief”. Could someone help me with directions? What’s the best way to get into T-town and to the campus? Many Thanks and Roll Tide!</p>
<p>Were you planning on taking US 82 into Tuscaloosa? If so, when you approach Ttown, 82 becomes 215. When you come to Skyland, go left (west) and then quickly head north on 359, which becomes Lurleen Wallace. From Lurleen, exit at University Blvd and turn right ( east) to the campus. </p>
<p>Or were you planning on taking I65 N to I20 West to Tuscaloosa? If so pass, McFarland, and take 359 north (which becomes Lurleen Wallace), exit at University Blvd and turn right (east) to campus.</p>
<p>I’ve never driven on US 82, so I don’t know if there are lots of traffic lights or how fast the roads are.</p>
<p>Taking the interstates will allow you to drive at freeway speed, but it’s the longer route (the right angle of a triangle verses the hypotenuse).</p>
<p>Hopefully, someone will look this over and offer any further advice (or corrections if needed).</p>
<p>The above ways avoid McFarland which is blocked around 15th street. We drove on 15th today, but had to turn around at Midtown Village (where Barnes and Noble is).</p>
<p>Your best bet is to take hwy 82 straight up into Tuscaloosa. (approx 90 miles)</p>
<p>Once you get to Tuscaloosa HWY 82 becomes McFarland Blvd. (This road is closed near 15th st)</p>
<p>You’ll need to take a left onto Skyland and take that all the way down to you get to the 359 intersection. (approx 2 miles)</p>
<p>Take a right to get on 359 north (approx 3 miles)</p>
<p>Then make a right onto University Blvd. The DKE house is directly across the street from Bryant Denny stadium.</p>
<p>McFarland is now open through the tornado zone (all traffic lights are operational). We drove from Skyland to Northport that way this afternoon. The traffic is heavy (but nothing you wouldn’t see on a game weekend). McFarland opening up has relieved 359, so it’s free flowing now.</p>
<p>Everything outside the tornado zone is back on track. The water towers have gone back online, so there are no more water restrictions or boil orders. The power is back (again, outside the tornado zone). University Mall and Target are open again. Midtown Village will be resuming operations on Monday. The gas shortage scare was overblown as gas was always readily available once you got outside the core of the city, but now that most places outside the tornado zone have power, gas is plentiful here. If you go to Northport or Skyland or Hillcrest, you’d never know a catastrophic tornado had come through the city.</p>
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<p>From what I surmise, everything from Old Navy to 15th St (Best Buy, Starbucks, Five Guys, Chipotle, etc) will remain closed for the time being</p>
<p>Starbucks and Chipotle in Midtown has some window damage, so until they get those fixed, they’ll have to stay closed, but it shouldn’t take them too long.</p>
<p>Glad to hear that McFarland has completely opened. </p>
<p>I’m just amazed how fast things are getting cleared away. </p>
<p>I wonder if any of the destroyed restaurants will move to Midtown. Midtown Village has 3 or 4 spots for future restaurants. They’re on the backside…It wouldn’t take long for these businesses to get up and running since the buildings are already built.</p>
<p>Thanks for the update feenotype. Glad to hear progress is being made at such a rapid rate. </p>
<p>I hope Chipotle can get open by Thursday when I’m down there. The closest one to me is a 2 hr drive and I love those burritos :-)</p>