BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — As summertime storms become more serious bouts of severe weather, it’s important to keep a few vehicle-related storm safety tips in mind.
Though most drivers don’t plan to be on the road when bad weather strikes, there may be times when it can’t be avoided.
Should this happen and a driver finds themselves approaching a roadway with high water, the best advice is to immediately turn around and avoid the area.
But, what if it’s too late to turn around?
When your car is caught in a flood
According to ready.gov, a basic principle to remember is that if the car is trapped in rapidly moving water, stay inside of the vehicle. But if the water is rising inside of the car, then get on the vehicle’s roof.
Other experts recommend the following tips for drivers who are caught in flooding waters:
- Keeping the principle above in mind, when it’s relatively safe to do so, leave your car and seek higher ground. In so doing, try to avoid areas with underground or downed powerlines that can electrically charge the water.
- If your car is swept into the water and submerged, stay calm and wait for the car to fill with water. Once the car is full, you’ll be able to open a door. (The water pressure needs to be equalized between the outside and inside of the car for the door to open.) Hold your breath and swim to the surface.
- If you are swept into fast-moving flood water when you’re not in a vehicle, point your feet downstream. Always try to go over obstacles, like tree branches in the water, never under them.
- If you’re stranded on an object above the floodwater, like a building or tree, stay where you are and wait for rescuers. Do not go into the flood water.
- When help arrives, remain calm and follow the directions of the rescue team.
Click here for additional suggestions on how to avoid being trapped in a flooded vehicle and what to do should the situation arise.
Be sure to stay up to date with the latest on weather conditions by following BRProud’s Chief Meteorologist Ashley Ruiz on Facebook, and the entire weather team right here on BRProud.com.