Tennessee’s Worst Roads to Drive on During a Disaster (And How to Survive Them)
By: A Well-Traveled Survivalist

When you’ve spent decades chasing storms, crawling through flash-flooded passes, and navigating highways turned to chaos, you learn one thing fast: the road is rarely your friend in a disaster. Especially in Tennessee.

Now, I’ve driven all over this country—rockslides in Colorado, hurricanes in Florida, ice storms in Maine—but Tennessee? It’s got its own flavor of trouble. The combination of winding mountain passes, crumbling infrastructure, sudden weather shifts, and bottlenecked urban sprawl makes it one of the trickiest states to navigate during a crisis. Whether you’re escaping a tornado, dodging wildfires, or trying to outrun the first signs of societal collapse, understanding the roads—and how to outsmart them—might just be what keeps you alive.

Tennessee’s Most Dangerous Roads During a Disaster

Let’s get specific. If you’re in Tennessee and the grid goes dark or a twister touches down, avoid these roads like the plague:

1. I-24 Through Monteagle Mountain
   A steep, fog-prone stretch with frequent rockslides and sudden weather shifts. During a disaster, this becomes a deathtrap.
2. I-40 Through Downtown Nashville
   Gridlocked in the best of times. In a crisis? It’s a parking lot with panicked drivers and no clear escape route.
3. US-129 (Tail of the Dragon)
   318 curves in 11 miles—thrilling on a Sunday ride, deadly when you’re trying to flee with a vehicle full of supplies.
4. I-75 Through Chattanooga
   Prone to major pileups and susceptible to flash flooding. Bridges and underpasses can trap you like a rat.
5. SR-64 Through Franklin County
   Low visibility, poor maintenance, and sharp elevation changes. When every second counts, this road turns into a gauntlet.
6. I-440 Loop in Nashville
   Short, poorly designed, and overloaded. A minor fender bender can stall traffic for hours, especially during an emergency.
7. State Route 68 Through Tellico Plains
   Narrow, winding, and prone to fallen trees. In rural areas like this, you’re on your own.
8. US-70S Through Murfreesboro
   Suburban chaos with high traffic density. Once panic sets in, forget about getting anywhere fast.
9. I-81 in Northeast Tennessee
   Notorious for black ice and bad weather. Add in a panicked population and you’ve got a dangerous mix.
10. SR-111 Near Cookeville
    Steep gradients and limited guardrails. Night driving here is hazardous—don’t even try it during a blackout.

15 Survival Driving Skills That Could Save Your Life

Now, let’s say you’re caught in a disaster scenario. Roads are jammed, GPS is fried, and cell towers are down. Here’s what you need to know to survive:

1. Situational Awareness
   Scan far ahead for brake lights, smoke, or roadblocks. Keep your head on a swivel—danger rarely comes from just one direction.
2. Off-Road Maneuvering
   Know how to take your vehicle off pavement. Even a two-wheel drive can manage a field or ditch if you pick your line carefully.
3. Engine Braking
   Use your gears to control speed downhill—especially in the Appalachians. Burn out your brakes and you’re a rolling coffin.
4. Navigating Without GPS
   Keep a physical map. Learn to read topography so you can identify passes, rivers, and high ground.
5. Controlled Skidding
   Practice steering into a skid. Whether it’s rain, ice, or gravel, knowing how to recover might save your life.
6. Driving Blackout
   Learn to drive with your lights off using only your night vision in low-profile getaways. Don’t do it often, but know it.
7. Vehicle Field Repair
   From changing a tire to bypassing a starter relay, basic vehicle mechanics can get you out of a jam.
8. Fuel Rationing Techniques
   Feather the gas, coast downhill, and limit idling. In a crisis, every drop matters.
9. Using the Shoulder and Median
   These are legal gray zones during a crisis. Use them wisely—but avoid getting stuck in a soft shoulder.
10. Barricade Breaching
    Keep a tow strap, winch, or even bolt cutters. Sometimes survival means clearing your own way.
11. Convoy Driving
    In numbers there is safety—but it takes coordination. Establish signals, routes, and fallback points.
12. Escape Route Planning
    Always have two exits: your main route and a backup. Practice both.
13. Water Crossing Techniques
    Know your vehicle’s clearance. Never cross fast-moving water—six inches can sweep you off the road.
14. Defensive Driving
    Aggression gets people killed. Keep space, stay calm, and anticipate others’ panic.
15. Silent Starts and Idles
    Know how to shut down accessories and keep a low profile. Sometimes, quiet is your best ally.

3 DIY Survival Driving Hacks When You Run Out of Gas

Now for the brutal truth—eventually, you’re going to run out of fuel. Whether it’s panic-buying or supply chain collapse, it’s coming. But don’t throw in the towel just yet. Here are three DIY survival driving hacks that might buy you critical miles:

1. Ethanol Siphoning from Outdoor Equipment
Gas cans dry up fast—but lawnmowers, ATVs, boats, and even chainsaws often contain small amounts of fuel. It may be ethanol-blended, but it’ll burn in most engines if you’re desperate.

• Tip: Use clear tubing and gravity to siphon safely. Avoid ingesting vapors.

2. Emergency Biofuel Additives
In certain engines, you can extend your gas with high-proof alcohol (like Everclear). It’s not ideal and not recommended long-term, but it can get you to the next stop.

• Warning: Only for fuel-injected systems designed to tolerate ethanol blends. This is a last-resort move.

3. Human-Powered Flat Tow
If you’re completely out of fuel but not out of manpower, use tow straps and a bike, ATV, or even another person on foot to pull your vehicle downhill or out of the kill zone.

• Pro Tip: Lighten the load, remove excess gear, and use neutral gear. It won’t be fast—but it might save your life.

Final Thoughts

I’ve survived by being prepared, staying calm, and adapting fast. That’s what driving through a disaster demands. Roads in Tennessee are beautiful but brutal. The mountains don’t care. The floods don’t care. Panic sure as hell doesn’t care.

So next time you’re driving down I-24 and the skies go green, ask yourself:
Do I know my vehicle?
Do I know this road?
Do I know how to get out alive?

Because if you don’t, it might be time to learn.