How do you navigate a flooded highway? Here are driving tips as Sacramento faces new storm

The New Year’s Eve atmospheric river storm flooded parts of Sacramento County including Highway 99 south of Elk Grove, which stopped drivers in their tracks. Now, as another storm is expected to rake Northern California, more flooding is anticipated and transportation officials are urging motorists to stay off the roads and urge caution if you do.

What is the safest approach when maneuvering flooded roads?

“Turn Around, Don’t Drown” is a program launched in 2003 by the National Weather Service that urges drivers to, like the slogan says, turn around instead of driving through a flooded road.

It is hard to determine the depth of water on a road when it’s been flooded, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency website. FEMA also warns motorists that moving water is powerful. Six inches of water can knock a person off their feet and a foot of water can easily sweep a vehicle off the road.

Here’s what you should do if you encounter a flooded road according to the Ready.gov:

• Evacuate the area immediately when told. Do not drive around barricades, those are used to direct traffic out of flooded areas safely.
• Avoid flooded roads: “Turn around, don’t drown.”
• Try to stay off bridges with fast-moving water below.
• If you get trapped in your vehicle in fast-moving water it is advised to stay inside.
• You should get on the roof of your car if water begins to leak inside the car.

This story was originally published January 3, 2023 at 3:26 PM.