SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – When heavy rain occurs in a short time period it is imperative to know what to do.
“The thing that you want to do is get to safety – if you do find yourself overcome by a lot of water,” Brian Watson, Training Officer at Shreveport Fire Department said.
If you find yourself caught in a flash flood take caution when driving especially if you’re in a low-lying car.
However, if the water is impassable and you’ve entered the flood waters, remember:
- Try not to panic;
- Conserve energy,
- Leave your belongings
- Do not open doors as the water pressure will keep you from moving, wait until the pressure has equalized
- Break the windows to escape
“You can be carried away with just inches of water, doesn’t have to be feet of water, Don Redmann, AAA Louisiana Spokesman said. “If you can’t see the curbs that’s a good indication it’s too deep to try to go through,”
Authorities say, to turn on your hazard lights to make it easier for first responders to find you.
“Just like citizens, if our police cars can’t drive through it, we’re also going to have issues responding. So we do ask people to use their best judgment in those cases,” Shreveport Police Department Public Information Officer Corporal Chris Bordelon said.
Authorities stress that going through floodwaters could be devastating, dangerous, and costly.
Remember, the National Weather Service slogan, ‘Turn around don’t drown.‘
