We're sitting in West Memphis, Arkansas as I write this. We had a load from Rock Island, Illinois that we had to deliver in Pine Bluff, Arkansas this morning at 8:30. We picked up at 2 p.m. yesterday and had to drive straight through. We were worried because we were going to have several hours to sit before delivery. And I mean 5 or 6 hrs. with someone always awake and on watch. We knew Arkansas had had lots of rain and storms but we had NO idea of how much.
We started out just fine. I drove my shift so Ron could get some sleep for his shift. After a very late dinner in the truck I took the sleeper berth for my turn at slumber. About 4 hrs. later I was rudely awakened by Tom, the GPS guy, saying we were on ALABAMA, AR 115. In my sleep- induced state all I heard was Alabama-115! I don't think I ever got up to the front so fast in my life. I thought Ron took a wrong turn and was 3 states out of the way! We were off course but only because US-67 was flooded.
I know how detours are posted in Indiana and a few other states but this was my first encounter with them in Arkansas. Ron told me that US-67/US-62 had a huge barricade erected with a sign for the detour and an arrow. He made the turn and that was the last sign he ever saw about that detour. HUH??? Where do we go from there? He was trying to find his way when Tom spoke with those awful words. Who knew that part of Arkansas had a street named Alabama? As we kept trying to locate a decent road we kept getting routed back to 67. After a few miles it would be flooded again and another detour. Tom programmed us on a route that ended with a dead end ahead and only a dirt lane with low branches on the right. Another turn-around for us. We found a station, pulled in and grabbed the atlas. Finally figuring how to get to Pine Bluff we started out again. Guess what---another flood out on 67. This time a police officer pulled up just as we turned around and told us how to get around it all. Finally, a cop when you need one!
All of this detouring took about 3 hours and I can only thank God for those extra hours. We only had to sit for about an hour and a half. After delivery we were sent here to W. Memphis. The amount of water all over Arkansas is staggering. Exits were closed and water was up to the edges of the roads. We had intended to stay at the TA truck stop but their gas pumps and tanks were underwater as well as most of their parking lots. Needless to say we moved on. The sun was out most of the day and I'm praying that it made a significant advance toward receding the water. This was definitely one for the memory book!
After this we head for St. Louis and then on to El Paso. No grass growing under our wheels!
Until next time . . . . .
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