How to Escape a Car Submerged in Floodwaters

Immediate Actions When Trapped in Floodwaters

• 🧘 Remain calm as the first and most crucial step when your vehicle begins to fill with water.
• 🎛️ Immediately take off your seat belt to ensure you are not restrained.
• 🪟 Roll your window down as quickly as possible to create an escape route.

Exiting the Vehicle

• ⬆️ Your primary goal is to exit through the window before the water level rises too high.
• 🏠 If possible, get onto the roof of the vehicle to buy yourself more time and stay at a higher point.

Tools for Escape

• 🛠️ Be prepared with a seat belt cutter that also functions as a spring-action window punch.
• 🔨 If you lack a dedicated tool, use the metal posts of your headrest to try and break the window.

Understanding Floodwater Dangers

• 🚗 Six inches of standing water can be enough to disable a vehicle.
• 🌊 Six inches of swift water (moving water) can knock down an adult, highlighting the power of flood currents.

Safety When Walking in Floodwater

• 🚶 When walking in floodwater, it is best to walk sideways and shuffle your feet to maintain balance and avoid being swept away.