Floodwater Safety: Why a Familiar Road Can Become Dangerous
A flooded road can conceal damage, moving water and electrical hazards even when it is a route you use every day. Familiarity with the street cannot tell you what is beneath the surface or whether it remains safe to cross. The US National Weather Service advises people never to walk or drive into floodwater. Its guidance warns that about 15 centimetres of fast-moving water can knock an adult over, while roughly 30 centimetres of rushing water can carry away many cars. Larger vehicles are also vulnerable. These figures illustrate the danger; they are not safe-depth limits for testing a crossing. Water conditions, vehicles and road surfaces vary. A barrier may mark a washed-out road or another hazard that is invisible from where you are standing. Going around it removes a protection put in place for road users. Prepare before a route is cut off The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends planning an evacuation route and agreeing on a family contact in case people become ...