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How to Survive a Flash Flood in Your Car

Roll the window down the second the water rises: It is your only way out

A few critical tips can help you survive if a flash flood ever strikes while you’re driving a car, the "Today" show reported. 

Jim Douglas, an instructor with Raven Rescue, told the “Today” show’s national investigative correspondent Jeff Rossen that "not even a foot" of water is enough to make a car float. SUVs and 4x4s are not immune to danger. "Those big tires will make a truck float even easier," Douglas said. "They are like big buoys. They'll float even faster."

Last year, on a special training course in Whistler, British Columbia, the Rossen Reports team staged a dramatic demonstration of just how quickly a pickup truck can be swept away in a flash flood — and how to survive such a situation. 

Critical tips:

  • Roll the window down the second the water rises: It is your only way out.
  • Get on the roof of the vehicle.
  • Stay low and hang on. Stay stable: A car can flip in 6 feet of water. "At least being on the roof you've got a fighting chance," Douglas said. "If you are inside and that car flips over, you've got no chance."
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