So, if the car goes into a river

[zigs]

Bit of an increased risk of ending up in a river at the moment.

If you get swept into deep water, first thing to do is open the windows, if the car sinks with them shut, you won't be able to open the doors due to the pressure of the water.

If you can't then try to break the windows by kicking with your heels or using a heavy object, I keep a jack handle under the seat.

If you can't break the window, don't panic, you'll have to wait till the car fills with water, take a deep breath from the last pocket of air and hold it. As soon as the car is filled then the pressure will be equal. Open the door and head for the surface. If you're wearing boots take them off first as they'll fill with water and drag you down.

 

[Meowmie]

Very useful information for a situation many people never think about. Thank you, but please, do try to keep your car out of the river, Zigs. (or the river out of your car since it looks like the river isn't staying put)

 

[zigs]

I will do

Thought it would be relevant at the moment, there was a van that got washed off the road here recently, fortunately it was only into a ditch. Could have been a different story if it had been washed into a river

Environment Agency have said the floods are going to get deeper, it's already upto door handle level on a lot of the houses.

 

[firelily99]

Excellent advice, hopefully people will simply have enough sense to simply stay inside and off of the roads when the weather is as horrible as it has been for you in the UK. We have been having a ton of snow this winter and it amazes me that people who have no reason to be on the road still insist on going out. The end up in an accident, block plows and generally make things difficult for the essential workers who have to be out.

 

[zigs]

We've had good weather today, the Met Office has advised people to make unnecessary journeys.

 

[Meowmie]

We have a problem out west where they don't normally get a lot of rainfall. When they do, it comes down in buckets and many drivers have thought they were trying to go through a few inches of water only to find out that it was deeper and had a current. Many lives lost that way. ANY water where it shouldn't be is dangerous, you just don't know what is underneath. Sometimes it's a horribly deteriorated road, mostly washed away. Stay safe!!!

 

[zigs]

True, our roads are so full of potholes after all this rain and sinkholes have started appearing now. One swallowed a woman's car, another opened up in the middle of a Motorway

 

[Meowmie]

It's scary. You said you were uphill from the water, are you far enough uphill?

We had a sinkhole over here a week ago or so. Under the corvette museum. The ground ate a bunch of rare corvettes! luckily it happened during the night and there were no people there.

 

[zigs]

Yep, the flooded villages are only about 5 metres above sea level, i'm about 25

I heard about the Corvettes on the Radio, you never know where they could appear

Years ago there was a car park in town, when they decided to build on it, they scraped back the tarmac to reveal floorboards !

The whole thing was over cellars from houses that had been bombed in the war, no one knew they were there, yet amazingly no cars ever fell thru.

 

[Gardener]

Wow, this is very informative, but it would be horrible for anyone to go through something like this. Definitely a life changing experience! We don't have any floods over here, and I hope it stays that way, but lets hope that everyone is as prepared as they can be in situations like these. Very informative zigs!

 

[zigs]

Thought it might be worth a mention, as the last thing you would think of would be to open the window if you went in. 4 Servicemen died on the levels some years back when their car skidded on mud and went into the river If they'd known, maybe they could have got out.

 

[Meowmie]

Interesting about the floorboard under the tarmac. Just recently they were going to build something in Miami, Fl and got a huge surprise while digging. They found an ancient city. Can't wait to see what they unearth there. Guess the builders have to find a new site for whatever they were going to put there!

 

[Becky]

Excellent advice zigs it's one of those things that you hope would never happen, but it's always best to be prepared for any eventuality.

 

[zigs]

Excellent advice zigs it's one of those things that you hope would never happen, but it's always best to be prepared for any eventuality.

Bit like keeping a drink handy in case you see a snake

 

[gata montes]

zigs - Its a good thing that you don't live in the same place as me then - otherwise you could become an alcoholic - as I see snakes on a very regular basis .......

Like this one - which although a baby at around 4 - 5ft long - was hissing and spitting as I took these photos

In fact one - although much smaller than the one in the photo - took me by surprise - just a few hours ago - as it slithered past my feet