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'Turn around, don't drown': NWS reminds drivers to be cautious on flooded roads

Three cars drive through a flooded street
Tony Winton
/
KBI
FILE: Heavy rainfall caused flooded streets in Key Biscayne, June 4, 2022.

Although South Florida is not within Hurricane Milton’s direct path, tropical-storm-force winds plus heavy rain are expected, which means the possibility of localized flooding.
 
And that means taking even more caution than usual while driving.

The National Weather Service is blunt in its warnings: The agency is calling its awareness campaign “turn around, don’t drown."

"Here's a crucial point we want to emphasize: If a car before you enters the flood waters and crosses it does not mean you can too. Conditions change rapidly and it's never safe to drive through flood waters," said Joseph Truijillo-Falcón with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Severe Storms Lab, in a PSA for NWS this summer. 
 
According to NWS, more people die from flooding deaths than from any other thunderstorm-related hazard and half of those flooding deaths occur in vehicles.

READ MORE: 'It's going to be a mess' — fighting a storm surge with sandbags tarps and absorbent booms

This is a News In Brief report. Visit WLRN News for in-depth reporting from South Florida and Florida news.

Elise Catrion Gregg is a fall 2024 intern for WLRN. She earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and a master's degree in criminal justice from Florida International University.
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