Driving through Flood Water

Nashville has been experiencing rain almost every evening for the past few days and it has been the source of high waters and flooding.  Yesterday I read a story (Link broken; similar story here.) about an autistic child who was separated from his mother when she drove through flood waters.  She was able to recover her other children, but was unable to retrieve her son.

As a mother and an insurance agent, my heart was broken when I read this story. It really hit home with me.  We never want to face this situation with our own children, and we often wonder what we could do to prevent this situation. If given the option to drive through flood waters, what would we do?

• Stay put if you can. Drive as little as possible when there is reported flooding in the area.
• Do not drive through flood water. It only takes two feet of water to sweep your vehicle away.  Water is a very powerful source.
• Pay attention to barricades and do not ignore them.
• Pay attention to objects that are floating down stream and definitely stay away from electrical wires that have fallen into the stream.
• Avoid being on the phone, unless you need to report serious injuries.

If your vehicle does sustain water damage, please consider that water damage also affects the vehicle’s engine and a mechanic may need to inspect your vehicle. This link gives you a few pointers as to what to do if your engine and vehicle experiences water damage.

I have attached a link that explains some other driving through water scenarios, which I hope none of us are ever forced to experience.  Stay safe and please pray for this family!