Severe weather is complicating Labor Day weekend travel across parts of the United States, with storms threatening the Mid-Atlantic, flooding reported near New Orleans and tens of thousands of customers still without power in the Detroit metropolitan area.
The disruption comes as travelers face another concern on the opposite side of the country. In California, gasoline prices are more than a dollar per gallon higher than they were during Labor Day weekend last year, according to the report, adding another expense for drivers already navigating heavy holiday traffic.
Detroit Crews Work to Restore Power After Back-To-Back Storms
According to NBC News, Power crews across the Detroit metropolitan area are working to restore electricity to tens of thousands of customers following successive storms that damaged infrastructure and left parts of the region in the dark.
“The past couple of days, Mother Nature has not been our friend,” one official said as crews continued their response. In some areas, particularly on Detroit’s east side, storm damage has made recovery more difficult. “The infrastructure is not there,” the official said. “It is simply been picked up by the tornadoes.”
A tornado that touched down in Detroit on Thursday was classified as an EF2, with winds reaching 115 mph. According to the report, the tornado remained on the ground for more than three miles and was the first tornado recorded in the city in nearly 30 years.
The Detroit damage came during a broader stretch of severe weather. Heavy rain flooded streets outside New Orleans, including in Slidell, Louisiana, where vehicles were shown moving through standing water. Severe storms were also threatening parts of the Mid-Atlantic, raising the possibility of further disruption during the holiday weekend.
The timing has complicated travel plans for people moving through airports and highways during one of the busiest travel periods of the year. One traveler described conditions simply: “It’s been crazy. Ready to go back home.”
California Drivers Face Higher Fuel Costs as Holiday Traffic Continues
Travelers in California are dealing with a different kind of pressure as gasoline prices remain sharply higher than they were a year ago.
According to the report, the price of a gallon of gasoline in California is more than one dollar higher than during Labor Day weekend last year. Drivers interviewed in the Los Angeles area said the added cost was influencing how they planned their trips.
Jared Flores and his wife, who traveled from California’s Imperial Valley to San Diego for the holiday weekend, chose to buy gasoline in Arizona before continuing toward the coast. “What I do is we go to Yuma, fill it up because it’s cheaper,” Flores said. “And then we eat something over there and just have it ready for the weekend.”
Asked how he felt about the cost of filling his vehicle, Flores compared the expense to another major household obligation. “It’s a whole ’nother rent,” he said. “It’s a double responsibility financially.”
The report said the two worst travel days of the holiday weekend had already passed, although Monday was still expected to be very busy. Traffic remained visible in Los Angeles as travelers prepared for the return journey, with significant congestion expected on the roads as the weekend drew to a close.
