Why You Shouldn’t Drive Through Flooding

Hurricane Harvey is expected to bring heavy rainfall and flooding over the weekend, and tens of thousands were already ordered to evacuate.

But once the flooding starts, roads can become nearly impossible to navigate through, and driving through the flooded streets isn’t a safe option.

The National Weather Service strongly advises against attempting to go through flooded areas, noting that 12 inches of rushing water to carry away a small car and 2 feet can carry away most cars.

With the NWS reporting that storm surge flooding could reach 6 to 12 inches above ground level, this poses a risk for anyone near the storm. Heavy rainfall between 15 and 25 inches, with some areas seeing as much as 35 inches, is also expected.

Once the vehicle begins to float, the driver no longer has control and it can flip or turn on its side, according to Weather.com.

Ready.gov advises that if your car begins to float and the water is not moving, you should immediately get out and move to higher ground. However, people should not leave their car to enter moving water.