Driving in Floods

by Tanya Davis

When you're on the road, flooding can happen anywhere and at any time. Especially when traveling long distances, drivers may not have taken the time to check the weather forecast – so rising waters could catch them unaware. In 1998, many Texas drivers found that out during record-breaking flash floods which resulted in numerous deaths. Since then, the scenario has been repeated over and over. Let's look at how drivers get caught in flash flooding, and what steps you should take to prevent being one of the victims yourself.

How much water does it take?

The majority of drivers feel that they are very safe when inside their vehicles during a rain storm. But it takes a lot less water than most people think to cause a problem with your vehicle. According to FEMA, only six inches of water can cause your vehicle to stall. That’s enough to reach the bottom of most passenger cars. Six inches can also easily cause you to lose control. It only takes about one foot of water to make your vehicle float. If you're floating, there is no chance for recovery or escape. At two feet, rushing water can carry you away. Some people believe that the solution to this is to drive SUVs or pickup trucks, but the truth is that even these can be swept away with a couple of feet of water.

Catching Drivers Unaware

Flash floods not only catch us unaware because of the speed at which the roadways fill up with water; drivers are also surprised at the depth of the water. When they approach deep water with a vehicle, they don’t always know how deep it is -- even if they are familiar with the route. This seems strange, but rushing waters skew motorists' perspective, so much that several feet of water can appear to be only a few inches.

Drivers also may be confused about the depth of the water due to the fact that they are concentrating so hard just to see in the pouring rain. They may not notice that the “puddle” is really a lake. Working hard to keep the vehicle going the right way, or calming family members in the passenger seats may lead to disaster as these drivers suddenly enter raging waters.

The Dangers of Flash Floods

When the southeast Texas flooding occurred in 1998, 65 percent of the drivers who had drowned had driven into rapidly rising waters. Nationwide, about 59 percent of all flooding victims drown inside their vehicles. These statistics may indicate that motorists are either unable to react quickly enough to the changes in weather, but it's more likely that they don't know what to do.

Safety Precautions

• If you’re caught in a flash flood, try to find an alternate route. If you are familiar with the area, think of the highest land – changing to an uphill direction is best.
  
• Don't be afraid to turn around, even if the water does not look deep. You really cannot tell visually how high the waters are.
  
• Moving water is risky; in addition to the danger of floating the vehicle, it may have already damaged or washed away the pavement underneath.
  
• If you have no other choice abandon the car and move to higher ground.

Above all, be careful out there!

Tanya Davis is a freelance writer living in Tennesee.