Do not enter when flooded.” It’s a bright yellow road sign you’ve probably seen next to drainage areas and bridges, but have you given it any real thought? Unfortunately, most motorists simply tune out these warnings. When severe weather does occur, far too many drivers venture into areas where their vehicles simply cannot go, leading to precarious rescues or even preventable fatalities. According to the National Weather Service, an average of 95 people die each year from flooding, and nearly two-thirds of those deaths occur in vehicles. A study published by the University of Arizona also concluded that most motorists who crossed flooded areas did so due to a calculated decision, not an impulsive one — “they tended to cross if it appeared that weather conditions were getting worse, if they could not find another route, and if they saw that vehicles had successfully crossed.”
If you found yourself stranded in worsening storm conditions with a flooded road ahead, how would you gauge your ability to escape the situation? Should you stay put and risk worse flooding at your current location, or attempt to drive out carefully to reach safety? We asked survival instructor Kevin Estela and overlanding expert Rick Stowe how they’d deal with this dangerous predicament.
The Setup
As a father, you’re a big believer in spending quality time with your kids in the great outdoors. You’ve gone on countless father-daughter adventures with your firstborn — camping, fishing, hiking, and plenty of weekends off-roading together in your Jeep Wrangler. For her eighth birthday, you decide to load up the Jeep with supplies and drive from your home in the Midwest down to visit a family member who lives on the Gulf Coast. Along the way, you hit a few off-road trails and camp out overnight. For most of the trip, the weather has been overcast with scattered showers, but as you get closer to the coast, you notice the forecast predicts heavier rain from an incoming tropical storm. Still, it looks manageable, and none of the locals you’ve met seem especially concerned. You’ve only got one more night of camping before you reach your relative’s home, so you head out on the trail to find a campsite one last time.
The Complication
You awake in the middle of the night to the sound of rain hammering your tent. Rolling out of your cot, the floor undulates like a waterbed beneath your feet. Outside the tent, water is already ankle-deep and it’s only getting worse. You wake your daughter and tell her you’ll both need to take shelter in the Jeep, since the tent isn’t going to be able to keep out the rising water for long. As you fire up the engine and
