BOSTON (WHDH) - Flash floods slowed traffic on highways during rush hour Thursday morning.
They even left some cars stranded.
AAA says the best advice they can give to drivers who find themselves in this situation is to stay patient.
“The issue, you know, you can check the weather forecast before you leave, but these things materialize out of nowhere sometimes so you can get stuck,” said Mark Schieldrop of AAA.
Though they recognize, that’s easier said than done. Especially if you’re surrounded by rapidly rising water.
If you find yourself in that situation, AAA says that oftentimes, the safer bet is to stay in the car and call authorities to come and rescue you.
That’s because the water can be deceiving, it can be deeper than you think, there could be debris in it, and there could even be a current that could pull you.
“There might be a slope in the road that you’re not seeing and next thing you know, that four to five inches of water you’re driving through turns into a foot, then you’ve got water getting into your engine your engine’s gonna seize,” said Schieldrop. “You’re gonna lose power and then you’re gonna stall out.”
AAA’s rule of thumb is, if you can’t see the lines on the road, there’s a good chance the water could be deeper than it appears.
“Sometimes you might feel pressure to keep going because other people are doing it,” said Schieldrop. “If you’re making your way through the floodwater, there may be vehicles coming in the other direction that’ll kick up wake. Almost like a boat’s wake, and that can cause the water level to rise and cause problems for you.”
They recommend if you see heavy rain, and the road starting to flood, that’s a good time to pull over to “higher ground” and wait out the storm.
“That’s tough advice for folks that are really busy and have somewhere to be, but if you get stranded in a flood, you’re gonna be waiting a lot longer than maybe just staying put and waiting it out,” said Schieldrop.
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