'Turn Around, Don't Drown'

Late summer flash foods are a way of life for all too many North Americans.

Extreme storms--Detroit, August 2014--waterboard a city into submission. Drivers need to remember it takes far less moving water to disable a vehicle. 

"Turn around don’t drown,” said Chris Vaccaro, public affairs for the National Weather Service. “Whenever there’s flood coverage on the television news they broadcast drivers going through the water, but it’s not a good idea. Don’t plow ahead when confronted with water, turn around and take an alternate route.”

One of the most common mistakes? Underestimating the depth of water, according to the National Weather Service.

As little as a foot of moving water is all it takes to sweep a small vehicle. It takes half that to knock a person off their feet, Vaccaro said.

Flash floods occur nationwide. In August, 2014, flash floods ravaged Detroit and swamped more than 1,000 vehicles. Flood depths reached 14 feet and 10 billion gallons of sewage spurt from the sewers. 

Severe downpours caused both those floods, but heavy rains aren’t the only cause of roadway floods, Vaccaro said.

“There are cases where the infrastructure isn’t capable of dealing with the scenario or construction work impedes water flow,” he said.

Monitoring weather reports helps keep drivers safe from flash floods. Vaccaro suggests avoiding unnecessary errands when flash flood warnings are issued.

Vaccaro suggests keeping an emergency kit in the trunk: flares, a flashlight and a fully charged cell phone.

“Trust your instincts and don’t take unnecessary chances,” he said. “You don’t want to be in a situation where you need to be airlifted, where you’re putting your life-and someone else’s-at risk.”

Below are some tips from the National Weather Service on how to handle flooded roadways and flash floods:

• Never drive or walk in floodwaters. As little as 12 inches of rushing water can carry away a small vehicle and two feet of moving water can wash away most vehicles.
• Turn around, don’t drown. Motorists are urged not to risk it. Make a U-turn and head for safety.
• Pay attention to the signs. Yellow caution signs are placed in flood-prone areas, while pink signs are placed by road crews at the site of an existing flood.
• Keep an emergency kit with flares and a flashlight in your trunk. A fully charged cell phone is invaluable in an emergency.