MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Anytime you have heavy rain, there is a potential for flash flooding. And some areas are more prone to flooding than others.
Local 24 News Reporter, Brittani Moncrease, drove around to some of those areas and found out what you should do if you run into a potentially flooded spot.
Looks can be deceiving. That is something to keep in mind when driving in heavy rain with the potential of flash flooding.
“I was driving back from work,” said Mary Katherine Hofstetter, a Memphis resident.
Hofstetter took her normal route passing Third and Shadyac Avenue in downtown Memphis, Wednesday.
“Driving, it seemed like there was just this little dip with water, thought I could go pass it and then my car just started coasting,” said Hofstetter.
Other cars were coasting too.
“It eventually stopped and I knew the car wasn’t going to go any farther. By the time I got out of the car, water started to pour in,” said Hofstetter.
Thankfully, Hofstetter was able to phone a friend to pick her up.
Bo Mills, Public Works Director for the City of Germantown, said these flash floods can be tricky.
“It all depends on the intensity of the storm. It can happen very quickly,” said Mills. “Catch basin in the street is always in a low point of the street, so that it can catch the water. It could cause some flooding. It could cause knee deep water to stand in those areas, flood up in the yards, flood up in the driveways, flood out into the street.”
If you do come across potential flooding, there is one key thing you should do.
“It’s very smart to just try not to approach that water. Stay clear of it. Turn around and go the other direction,” said Mills. “There’s always a hazard there. Something could happen to the street. Something could happen to the roadway. You can’t see it.”
It is a tip Hofstetter now knows first-hand.
“I learned to keep a good head on my shoulders. Don’t panic,” said Hofstetter. “It’s good to have good friends to rely on...If the roads look like there’s a lot of water there, don’t risk it.”