ODOT: Avoid areas that are still flooded

COLUMBUS – As Ohioans recover from nearly two weeks of flooding, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) reminds motorists that many roads around the state are still closed due to high water, and crossing them may be deadly.

“More than half of all flood-related deaths occur in automobiles as people and their vehicles are swept downstream,” said ODOT Director Jerry Wray. “Motorists should never cross flooded roadways and never drive around the barriers that warn the road is flooded.”

The best advice: “Turn Around, Don’t Drown.”

March 14-18 is National Flood Safety Awareness Week and motorists can stay alive by avoiding flooded areas altogether.

Flash floods are the most dangerous kind of flooding because they combine the destructive power of high water with incredible speed and unpredictability. Rapidly rising water creating a flash flood may occur with little warning.

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.