Avoid the Rush: Never Drive Through Floodwaters

During Memorial Day weekend, a Texas community received a tragic reminder of the sudden, overpowering force of floodwaters. Alyssa Ramirez, a senior at Devine High School in Divine, Texas, was killed when her car was swept away in rising waters on a section of roadway not yet closed off by authorities just 2 miles from her home.

Related: Beware of Flood-Damaged Used Cars

Ramirez was just one of several people who died over the span of a few days during massive flooding this past spring in the Southwest. But as safety advocates will tell you, flooding can occur anywhere, and quickly. Of the 89 flood-related fatalities on average each year — the second-leading cause of weather-related death behind heat — the majority occur when a vehicle is driven into floodwater, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"People underestimate the force and power of water," the National Weather Service warns on its website. "Many of the deaths occur in automobiles as they are swept downstream. Of these drownings, many are preventable, but too many people continue to drive around the barriers that warn you the road is flooded."

NWS' public-awareness campaign, which uses the slogan, "Turn Around Don't Drown," attempts to educate people that just a little water can result in a whole lot of danger. For example, just 6 inches of fast-moving floodwater can knock over an adult, while a foot of is enough to carry away a small car; 18 inches to 2 feet is enough to move a vehicle of almost any size.

"It is impossible to tell the exact depth of water covering a roadway or the condition of the road below the water," safety campaign officials warned. "This is especially true at night when your vision is more limited. It is never safe to drive or walk through floodwater.

"Any time you come to a flooded road, walkway, or path, follow this simple rule: Turn Around Don't Drown."

Flooding can occur in many ways, typically as a result of prolonged or intense rainfall, when ice or debris causes a river or stream to overflow, failure of a levee or dam, and when snowmelt accumulates faster than the soil can absorb it. In other words, NWS says, no place in the U.S. is immune to flooding hazards.

Reiterating that motorists should never try to drive through standing water, insurance provider Progressive offered tips for people forced to do so in a worst-case scenario. If no alternate route or reasonable alternative exists but to drive through the water, Progressive recommends that you:

• Do your best to estimate the depth of the water.
• Drive slowly and steadily through.
• Watch for items traveling downstream that could trap or crush your vehicle.
• Test your brakes on a clear patch of road at low speeds after driving through water up to the wheel rims or higher to ensure they're dry and working properly.
• Keep in mind that if your vehicle stalls in the deep water and you're forced to restart, irreparable damage could occur to the engine.
• Immediately abandon your vehicle and head for higher ground if you can't restart and become trapped in rising water. Try to open the door or roll down the window to exit, and call 911 or try to get the attention of someone nearby to call for help.