The flooding in the Valencian Community due to DANA has once again highlighted the dangers of facing extreme weather phenomena while driving. Torrential rains caused unexpected flooding, placing thousands of drivers in high-risk situations. In this scenario, it is essential to know What to do if you are surprised by a flood with your car or how to get out if you’re stuck in water.
Experts assure that the measures to be taken depend on the specific situation and that it is essential to be prepared to react appropriately to different scenarios. In the first case, when there is no danger of depth or force of flowthe most important is call 112 report the situation; If we can’t do it, we must ask for help people close to us, because their help can be crucial in these moments of emergency.
The second scenario occurs when The flow gains strength, but it’s still not enough to move the vehicle. In this situation we must also notify the emergency services, and it is vital go out through the window opposite in the direction of water pressure. This action will allow us to try to climb onto the roof of the vehicle in complete safety.
Adrián Pastor, firefighter of SEPEI of Cáceres and broadcaster of Emergencies Spain, underlines the importance of this strategy, explaining that Opening the window on the side where the draft is coming from can quickly flood the car. Furthermore, if we try to exit from this side, “it is likely that a suction effect will occur which traps us under the vehicle and exposes us to the risk of drowning”. Once you manage to climb onto the roof, “you have to wait to be rescued or for the strength of the current to decrease”; In doing so, we will also “make ourselves more visible to those who can help us.”
In the third scenario, if we followed all the instructions, but The force of the current is such that it starts to move the car, We must act quickly. Adrián Pastor’s recommendation is to “cling to any resistant object that is nearby, such as a tree, another vehicle or a solid construction” that offers us security until conditions improve or help arrive.
If we arrive to the point of having to jump into the waterit is crucial to “swim diagonally to the current”, which will allow you to move in a more controlled manner towards one of the banks. Adrián Pastor emphasizes that “this technique gives us greater possibilities to reach a safe place and stay safe in the middle of the emergency”.
