Driving Tips During a Flood

8/27/2022 (Permalink)

Drive safely in flooded streets

Driving During a Flood

When a bad storm hits Heathrow, FL, floodwaters can rise in no time. Rather than barrel down your flooded street, you should take a few precautions when there is a lot of water on the road. Here are some tips on staying safe if you must drive after a heavy storm.

Steer Clear of Standing Water

Many drivers tend to ignore travel tips and get overconfident when flash floods occur. They expect that standing water is harmless. The truth is that there can be many unseen hazards beneath the surface:

• Branches or other debris
• Potholes or washed out pavement
• Moving water

It is unlikely that you are able to discern how safe it is to drive through water when you can’t see to the bottom of it. Even a few inches can stall your vehicle or even move it off the road. Flood damage experts recommend that you find an alternate route or just wait until the water has a chance to drain.

Slow down

A flooded street is not a racetrack. Even if the water is shallow enough to navigate, you still need to reduce your speed so that you don’t stall your vehicle or hydroplane. If your tires cause water to fan out to the side, you are probably going too fast to be safe.

Don’t Use Others as a Gauge

Just because other drivers make it through flooded roads, that doesn’t mean you should try it. Flood conditions change rapidly. The car in front of you could have inadvertently knocked some debris into your path that will tear up your vehicle. Rely on your own good judgment rather than the whims of other people.

A flooded street is not meant to be a challenge. When in doubt, it is better to turn around and go back the way you came than try to rush through standing water. Safety should always come first.