Emergency responders make 1,800 swift water rescues
A washed out roadway in Houston, due to historic rainfall and flooding in April 2016. *Please don't do this; never drive through floodwaters. (Image credit: Elliott Blackburn, via Flickr Creative Commons, https://flic.kr/p/GoooHz )
The rain just isn’t letting up in Houston. Rainfall totals and flood stages of local creeks and reservoirs are shattering records, and with continued thunderstorms and showers in the forecast through Friday, many areas around metro Houston will remain in danger.
Flooding already has claimed the lives of at least eight people who drowned in vehicles that became submerged in floodwaters, and while we can’t stop the rain or the flooding, there’s a vital message to be heard. Amazingly a mere 6 inches of fast-moving flood water can knock over an adult. It takes just 12 inches of rushing water to carry away a small car, while 2 feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles. It is NEVER safe to drive or walk into flood waters, so please remember this simple slogan, Turn Around, Don’t Drown.
When you encounter a road barrier or see moving or standing water in the roadway up ahead, you have a choice to make: Will you risk it? The decision is yours and yours alone. Don’t drive during torrential downpours or in areas that have a flash flood warning. Doing so not only puts your life at risk, but it also risks the lives of first responders who are called to rescue you.
Turn Around, Don’t Drown. Or better yet, stay home until the flood threat subsides.
