Drivers urged to steer clear of flooded roads after Sonoma County drowning
The tragic death of a man found in a vehicle submerged in flood water in Sonoma County over the weekend punches home the fact that it is never safe to drive into flood waters.
A man was found in a vehicle submerged in flood water on Saturday near Mays Canyon Road and state Highway 116, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office confirmed.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more deaths occur each year due to flooding than any other storm-related hazard, and over half of all flood-related drownings occur when a vehicle is driven into hazardous flood water.
The next highest percentage of flood-related deaths is due to walking into or near flood waters.
Many of the deaths occur in cars swept downstream, and many of these drownings are preventable.
According to the National Weather Service, motorists should never drive around the barriers blocking a flooded roadway as it might have collapsed under that water.
It takes just 12 inches of rushing water to carry away most cars and just two feet of rushing water can carry away SUVs and trucks, the NWS explained.
