Cars and bikes floated on the roads of the tri city (Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula) area yesterday and roads turned into virtual rivers when heavy rains swamped the areas. The meteorological department confirmed that 112 mm of rain fell between 8.30 and 11.30 am and it was poor draining that lead to this massive water logging.
People were seen abandoning their vehicles on the roads as the levels rose and some cars and two wheelers were also seen floating away. These shocking scenes of vehicles afloat caused many persons to take to social media and post videos of vehicle afloat on the road. The accompanying video shows exactly the adverse effects the lashing rain and unprecedented flooding had on vehicles on the road.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtJ3hT_IlT4
What does one do in such a situation? The first priority is to save oneself but the protection of vehicles is also of prime importance.
In the event of rising flood waters, the first course should be to keep the engine revved up so that the water does not enter the tail pipe. This would cause the vehicle to completely stall.
Next, drivers should keep a close eye on the rising flood waters and in case it is severe, shutting the engine down and exiting the vehicle would be a safe option. Driving further into the floods should be avoided and the driver should try and turn around. It will also be necessary to shift vehicle into lowest gear and keep engine RPM on high. Momentum should be maintained and high speed should be avoided at all cost.
If the flood waters have covered the bonnet of the car, entry into the engine is obvious and hence the driver should not attempt to start the stalled car. It is then necessary to tow the vehicle to the nearest service center where it will be dried off completely and ascertained that all parts are functioning well prior to starting.
