TxDOT warns truck drivers of high winds

tonight, the borderland is slowly picking up the pieces from that ugly storm our stormtrack weather team warned you about. the abc-seven first alert we issued days before it hit is no longer in effect. new tonight, doppler dave lifted the alert this afternoon. the winds are sticking around but they did calm down some, giving crews throughout the city time to clean up downed trees, blown off roofs and even damaged buildings downtown. this is video of the chase building. a few panels were blown off its side. the wind is likely behind three semi- trucks being knocked on their sides yesterday. from the spaghetti bowl… and up u-s 54 to transmountain road. we had live coverage of all three wrecks last night at six. tonight, abc-seven is bringing you the story of some of the drivers involved. like vicky daniels. she tells abc-seven she was in a car with her husband and daughter right next to the semi that tipped over at the base of the mountains: “i saw it fall flat on its side and then it skidded a little bit, we saw the sparks flying everywhere and my husband swears it was a foot away from the end of our trailer … really, really close.” darren first shared vicky daniel’s story with us on abc-seven at five… and in the last hour, he’s gathered new information on how texas warns drivers about high winds … but the state does not close roads or overpasses because of them. darren is live right off i-10 with what he learned. txdot officials told me they can’t remember the last time three trucks were toppled one after another like that here … tonight, we hear from those behind the wheel; this youtube video shows what it looks like inside a semi truck when it’s toppled by the wind. watch this driver save the trailer from flipping not just once … but twice! “it’s real unsafe.” el pasoa daniel rivas has been a long haul truck driver for more than 20 years. “did you see the video of the three trucks that flipped?” “i sure did … ” “what did you think of that?” “man that was terrible, i bet they really got scared.” “is it different when it’s full than when it’s empty?” “oh yeah, it’s a bi difference.” “when these trucks are full the weigh about 80-thousand pounds, however, when they’re empty they only weigh about 34-thousand pounds, making this trailer much like a sail in high winds.” “the difference is the weight keeps you stable on the road.” “but when it’s empty? “when its empty it’s got yo going everywhere.” txdot officials say truck drivers need to pull over when winds make it dangerous. “what people can do is if the have a high profile vehicle park it until the wind stops … there is nothing that we can regulate because there is no one to regulate other than god.” “if i’m in my car and i see you struggling with that what should i do?” “stay awa stay away.” truckers told m there is little they can do, especially if they encounter high winds on overpasses and mountain roads. “give us a little more spac because you never know what can happen.” luckily only one person was hurt as winds topped 60 and even 70 miles per hour in some places, close to hurricane force. rick and estela. chief meteorologist doppler dave lifted the abc-seven first alert just a few hours ago. our