---
title: "As Harvey Hammers Texas, Remember: Don’t Drive Down a Flooded Street"
description: "Turn around, don't drown: More than half of all flood-related deaths in this country occur in cars."
date: "2017-08-29"
modified: "2017-08-29"
authors:
  - name: "Kyle Cheromcha"
    job_title: "Editor-in-Chief"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/kyle-cheromcha"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/13917/as-harvey-hammers-texas-remember-dont-drive-down-a-flooded-street"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "Flooding"
  - "Hurricane Harvey"
  - "safety"
  - "Texas"
---

# As Harvey Hammers Texas, Remember: Don’t Drive Down a Flooded Street

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2017/08/gettyimages-839994056.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Hurricane Harvey—now a stubborn tropical storm—is already one of the most destructive storms in American history, swamping southeast Texas, flooding the nation's fourth-largest city with trillions of gallons of water, and killing [at least 14 people.](<https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/hurricane-harvey-death-toll-family-six-feared-drown-houston-texas-emergency-services-a7918346.html>) And as the deluge in Houston continues, emergency officials want to remind everyone of a sobering statistic: More than half of all flood-related deaths occur in cars.

It might seem like common sense not to drive into floodwaters, but for someone faced with what appears to be a manageable crossing as they try to escape an affected area, it can look like a better option than turning around and trying to find another path. [*Reuters* reports](<https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/27/harvey-claims-second-fatality-as-floodwaters-rise-in-texas.html>) that rescue crews in Houston have already saved hundreds of people from submerged cars that either stalled out or were swept off the road.

And it doesn't take much. [According to FEMA,](<https://weather.com/safety/floods/news/flash-flooding-vehicle-danger-20140717>) just six inches of flowing flood water can cause a driver to lose control, while a foot of water will easily carry away most smaller vehicles. Double that, and even the heavy-duty pickup trucks that are often pressed into rescue duty will be swept away. Water flowing at a deceptively calm 6 mph can exert the same pushing force as winds in an EF5 tornado. On top of that, it's nearly impossible to gauge the water's depth from the driver's seat.

https://youtube.com/embed/eI6mIlHKrVY

The bottom line is that there's simply no safe way for someone in a normal passenger car to cross a flooded road, especially if the water is moving. And despite the repeated warnings, [a CDC report](<https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/66/wr/mm6605a3.htm>) on the aftermath of last year's Hurricane Matthew found that 18 of the 23 drowning deaths (78 percent) caused by the storm in this country were "associated with a motor vehicle."

The 30-plus inches of rain that has already fallen on the Houston area has made [huge stretches of the city's highways and streets](<https://www.chron.com/news/houston-weather/hurricaneharvey/article/These-are-the-roads-that-are-closed-in-Houston-12003482.php>) impassible, local officials say.

So far, at least 14 people have died as a result of Harvey, including six family members who reportedly drowned when floodwaters swept their van into Greens Bayou in Houston. That number is sure to rise as the rain keeps falling and authorities continue to survey the region. If you're in southeast Texas, please stay safe and remember: [Turn Around, Don't Drown.](<https://tadd.weather.gov/>) The advice could well save your life.

## Author
Overseeing an expert staff of writers and editors from his lair in Los Angeles, Kyle shapes The Drive’s singular approach to covering the automotive industry and car culture. He’s been with the site as a writer since 2017, taking over as editor in 2019. On a daily basis, Kyle is responsible for directing The Drive's editorial news and car review content strategies, setting special coverage priorities, managing complex reporting projects, and ensuring what you read on the page meets our high internal standards for quality and trustworthiness. He is also the executive producer of The Drive's YouTube channel, which was relaunched in February 2024 to great acclaim and has accumulated over 14M new views in its first year back on the scene. He hosts a biweekly series on the channel where he breaks down fascinating and complicated stories from the automotive world.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/kylecheromcha.bsky.social>)  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/kylecheromcha>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-cheromcha-1550248a/>)