Arkansas’s Worst Roads to Drive on During a Disaster — and How to Survive Them Behind the Wheel
Let me tell you something straight: if you’re driving through Arkansas during a full-blown disaster and you don’t know what you’re doing, you’re not just putting your life at risk—you’re endangering everyone you pass on that broken stretch of asphalt. I’ve spent years roaming every type of terrain from deserts to frozen tundras, and there’s one truth that always holds: your vehicle is either your salvation or your coffin. It all depends on how you drive it—and where.
Arkansas, beautiful and rugged as it is, isn’t exactly known for pristine highway conditions. But throw in a disaster—tornado, flood, winter storm, grid-down blackout, or civil unrest—and those narrow backroads and twisting mountain passes turn into traps. Let’s take a look at the worst places to drive through in Arkansas during a disaster, followed by survival driving skills and DIY hacks that might just save your life.
Arkansas’s Worst Roads During a Disaster
1. Highway 7 (Between Harrison and Russellville)
Picturesque? Absolutely. Safe during a flood or ice storm? Not a chance. Landslides, falling trees, and zero visibility curves make this a deathtrap when the weather turns.
2. Interstate 30 (Little Rock to Texarkana)
This corridor gets clogged fast in any kind of mass evacuation. Throw in overturned trucks, panic drivers, or a fuel shortage, and you’ve got a parking lot with a panic problem.
3. Highway 10 (Near Perryville)
Flooding hits this area hard. The road might still look “passable,” but underneath the water? Washed out culverts and crumbling pavement.
4. Interstate 40 (Especially near the White River crossing)
This stretch turns into a swampy mess when the river floods. Combine that with heavy 18-wheeler traffic and frantic evacuees, and you’re playing roulette with every mile.
5. Scenic Highway 23 – “The Pig Trail”
Don’t let the charming name fool you. During a disaster, those hairpin turns, narrow lanes, and zero guardrails can quickly become lethal.
6. Highway 71 (Between Fayetteville and Fort Smith)
Rockslides, sharp inclines, and over-confident flatlanders trying to “make good time” can clog this route in the worst way.
7. Highway 270 (Hot Springs to Mt. Ida)
Beautiful country, but limited visibility, heavy trees, and zero alternate escape routes. If something blocks your way, you’re boxed in.
8. Highway 67/167 Corridor
One of the busiest roads during evacuations. Potholes, debris, and desperate drivers weaving in and out make it a gauntlet.
9. Highway 49 (Especially near Helena-West Helena)
Low-lying areas flood fast, and that Delta wind can rip through with little warning. If the levees are stressed, it’s game over.
10. County Roads in the Ozarks
These are gravel, often unsigned, and nearly impassable with heavy rain or snow. Don’t depend on GPS—it’ll lead you right into the woods and leave you there.
15 Survival Driving Skills to Get You Out Alive
When it hits the fan, knowing how to actually drive in crisis conditions separates survivors from statistics. Here’s what I’ve learned over three decades of road-running in war zones, wilderness, and wipeouts:
- Threshold Braking – Learn to brake without locking your wheels. Keeps control even on wet or icy roads.
- Handbrake Turns – When you’ve got to spin the vehicle on a dime in tight quarters (say, boxed in a riot), this old rally trick can be a lifesaver.
- Low Gear Hill Descent – Keeps you from skidding downhill like a boulder. Especially critical in the Ozarks.
- Off-Road Tire Placement – Know how to straddle ruts and avoid tire-poppers like branches and nails.
- Driving Without Power Steering – If your engine dies or belt snaps, you’d better be able to muscle that wheel.
- Escape Driving in Reverse – You might need to back out of a tight spot fast. Practice controlled reversing at speed.
- Ramming Basics – If you must break through a barricade, hit low and center with controlled speed—not full throttle.
- Water Fording Technique – Don’t guess. Know your vehicle’s wading depth, and never cross fast-moving water.
- Driving by Compass – When GPS dies and you’re in the woods, compass navigation from map-to-ground is critical.
- Driving with Blown Tires – Maintain control, keep speed low, and don’t brake hard. Get to a flat zone fast.
- Tire Plugging in the Field – Carry a repair kit and know how to use it. Don’t wait until you’re leaking air 40 miles from help.
- Situational Awareness – You need 360° mental coverage at all times. Watch mirrors, scan shoulders, anticipate threats.
- Stealth Driving – Kill lights, coast in neutral, and keep RPMs low if you’re avoiding detection.
- Fuel Efficiency Driving – Coast where you can, drive 45-55 MPH, and avoid sudden acceleration to extend your fuel range.
- Mental Control Under Pressure – Might not seem like a “skill,” but it’s what separates panic from execution. Breathe, focus, adapt.
3 DIY Survival Driving Hacks When You Run Out of Gas
Sometimes, despite your planning, you’ll run dry. Maybe fuel’s gone, maybe your tank’s been siphoned while you slept. Here are three field hacks that can help you squeeze a few more miles—or at least survive the walk.
1. Alcohol Stove Siphon Burner (Emergency Siphon Booster)
If you’ve got denatured alcohol, Everclear, or even high-proof liquor, you can rig a small burner under your intake pipe (carefully) to vaporize trace gasoline and create enough vapor pressure to nudge the engine over. Crude? Absolutely. But I’ve seen it work.
2. Campfire Carb Heat Trick
If you’re stuck and the engine’s too cold to vaporize remaining fuel (especially in old carb models), build a small fire nearby and redirect heat with a metal plate toward the engine block. Don’t overdo it—you want warmth, not ignition.
3. Gravity Feed from Spare Canister
Bypassing the fuel pump entirely with a gravity-feed line can give older vehicles a few extra miles. Hang the spare can higher than the fuel intake, use a clear hose and basic valve to control flow. Works best on low-pressure systems.
Final Thoughts from the Road
You don’t need to be a Navy SEAL or a Mad Max road warrior to survive behind the wheel during a disaster. What you do need is planning, experience, and the will to stay calm under fire. Don’t depend on luck. Don’t rely on rescue. When the road disappears, the GPS dies, and the fuel gauge hits E—you’ll wish you knew every one of these tips by heart.
Arkansas is a land of beauty, but beauty doesn’t mean mercy. The roads here can be cruel, especially when nature—or society—turns hostile. Keep your tank full, your eyes sharp, and your instincts sharper. Out here, survival favors the prepared.
TheDailyChristian 