ODOT has flood-safety tips for Ohioans

Van Wert independent/ODOT information

COLUMBUS – With more than 83 road closures and restrictions around the state due to flooding – and more expected as rivers, creeks, and streams rise – the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) reminds motorists when faced with flooded roadways, “Turn Around, Don’t Drown.”

ODOT safety experts urge motorists to be aware when approaching a flooded road, urging them to stop and not cross. The advice is simple: NEVER drive through flooded roadways and NEVER drive around the barriers that warn that a road is flooded.

ODOT crews are working hard to remove fallen trees and mud and debris from roadways as water recedes.

With water across the roadway, though, drivers cannot always determine the depth of the water and if roadbeds are washed out. Six inches of moving water can knock a person down and a mere two feet of water can move a large vehicle.

Many weather conditions can cause a flash flood, making it the most dangerous kind of flooding because it combines the destructive power of high water with incredible speed and unpredictability. Rapidly rising water that can create a flash flood may occur with little warning.

At the national level, more deaths occur due to flooding each year than from any other severe weather-related hazard. More than half of all flood-related deaths occur in automobiles when people and their vehicles are swept downstream. The main reason is that people underestimate the force and power of water.

Know Before You Go: Up-to-the-minute road conditions are always available by logging onto www.BuckeyeTraffic.org.  During weather events, road conditions are updated as often as necessary, with information such as lane restrictions and closures due to construction, crashes or flooding.