Plan Evacuation Routes Now To Avoid Flooded Streets

9/19/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO team ready to help on flooding damage in Franklin, NY

Even though people are repeatedly warned not to drive through a flooded street, footage from almost every storm shows people doing just that. It also leads to tragedy in nearly every storm. Why do people continue to drive on flooded roads if they know the danger? Taking some time now to think how you would handle a flood in Franklin, KY, especially when you may need to act in contrary to the other traffic, can improve your chance of a successful evacuation.

Here are important travel tips when driving during a flood:

• Don’t ever drive through floodwater. With water weighing more than 62 pounds per cubic foot, it doesn’t take much to move your buoyant vehicle down a flooded street.
  
• Don’t drive on bridges above rapidly flowing floodwater. Floodwater contains heavy amounts of soil and debris, such as trees and building materials, which may weaken a bridge and cause a collapse.
• Don’t go around police barricades. These are placed because of known hazards. It may not look risky to you, but fast-moving water can overwhelm culverts and wash away sections of the road.

One of the best ways to make sure you don’t drive through a flooded street is to plan your possible evacuation routes now. It takes just a few minutes to look at flood maps online, which can provide important information about flood risk areas. You may not have time or access to look at this information during an emergency, so it can be smart to study maps now and plan at least two evacuation routes.

Make sure you return home only when local authorities declare the flooded roads are safe to travel in your area. Water will need to be removed from your property quickly to avoid additional damage from exposure. Calling a professional flood recovery team can help facilitate your recovery and get your home back to normal as quickly as possible.