[Closed] Why do people drive through floods?

No worries Jamie, I'd have probably put similar - I did have a suitable put down, but also edited 😉

I actually know the wading height of my vehicle - anyone else?

Yup, 620mm.

And on the road that often floods and blocks my only way home, there is a brick wall at the deepest point, and 620mm is when there are 6 bricks showing above the water line 🙂

Credit to you nealglover for actually knowing - what do you drive btw?

@ Kona, yes I recognise it.

Thing is to a degree every years flood will be a guestimate as a viable crossing no?

Sleep a mile from home?

Risk car or....a mile. A mile isnt that far..

The wading depth of my VW T5 is a paltry 300mm, not a lot at all really!

500 mm in our Freelander. And even if they made a snorkel for it, all the electrics are still down there.

That said, if you need to, and you know how, setting a bow wave about 1 m in front of the car, with a tarp across the bonnet to screen the fan, will mean that the actual depth of water around the important bits is still only 500 mm, even if the flood is considerably higher.

The problem is, most people don't know how to do this, and you really only get one chance if you do it wrong...

People obviously forget all logic in their desperation to get home or their complete knobbers and keen to try out their 4x4 amphibious capabilities. Very amusing.

I saw an AA patrol 4x4 going through the floodwater on the shores of Lake Windermere a couple of years ago. I was out on the CX bike (brilliant fun!) but by the Wateredge Inn at Ambleside it was too deep even for riding through. That and the fact that there was a minging drowned sheep bumping against the windows of the pub which had gone from being "Wateredge" to middle-of-the-bloody-lake.

The AA guy was obviously having a whale of a time driving around rescuing stranded motorists and he just drilled the big 4x4 straight through it. The water was over the bonnet at one point but it was obviously a hardened off-road vehicle and he got through no worries. He was grinning like a child in a sweet shop. 🙂

Thing is to a degree every years flood will be a guestimate as a viable crossing no?
Sleep a mile from home?
Risk car or....a mile. A mile isnt that far..

It's never a guesstimate, as I said above, 6 bricks showing on the wall is 620mm depth of water at the deepest point.

My van will clear 620mm without any issues.

So I would be sleeping in the van a mile from home for no reason.

There are a couple of other roads near me that flood regularly (and it's a looooong way round the "dry" route), that I also know I can clear without issues, so I do because I know it's perfectly safe.

Credit to you nealglover for actually knowing - what do you drive btw?

It's a Merc Van, living in York these roads flood a few times a year so it's helpful to be prepared with the right info 😉

Its not just your own car you need to worry about...
https://twitter.com/Glos_Police/status/272992296847437824

I live in shropshire in a major flood zone, and I have driven through every flood Ive encountered in the last 3 years, unless theres a copper telling me to turn around Ill do it 🙂 Ive not failed to get through one yet.

However thats in a company car, in company time 🙂

nealglover - Member

It's a Merc Van, living in York these roads flood a few times a year so it's helpful to be prepared with the right info

I suppose if it's a big Sprinter then it's higher than my truck in all respects - tis a tad ironic that my 4x4 is so low though, although I think that may be to do with the diff breather and not the air intake - might make an extender pipe.

About 15 years ago I got caught out in Langdale and went through what I thought was a puddle at 30mph on the main road back to Ambleside - turned out the puddle (which I'd driven through that morning) was now about 2' deep. Car was stopped pretty quick, bow wave went over roof of car, water level was just below door handles, engine (1.5TD) sucked in water and had a good go at compressing it and all the electrics failed.

So, exited car Dukes of Hazard style, pushed car out of water. After about 30mins the electrics drained enough to start the car and drove off on 3 cylinders, with the forth acting as a very impressive smoke machine.

Car was declared ****ed in Ambleside and recovered back home whereupon an engine rebuild inc new piston and conrod set me back £927! Was an expensive learning experience.

EDIT: It wasn't the depth that caused the problem, it was hitting it too fast and stalling. Had I ploughed through at a steady 10mph, it would probably been ok. As it was the force I hit the water with forced it through the air intake filter.

although I think that may be to do with the diff breather and not the air intake - might make an extender pipe.

And the electrics

Some twonk tried to drive thru a local ford near to me. He ended up down stream. the weather had been terrible with lots of flooding etc. The bloke was a Police sergeant. 🙂
[img] [/img]

Isn't there quite a lot of raw sewage in flood water too?

Renaults do seem to have low intakes I remember hearing about a lot of espaces "drowning".
I've managed some fords in the midget by knowing the depth and letting the car infront get out before I've gone in.

Isn't there quite a lot of raw sewage in flood water too?

Depends where it is, not if it's just off the hills (other than a bit of sheep poo).

HoratioHufnagel - Member
Isn't there quite a lot of raw sewage in flood water too?

Their can be, thats one reason why were baffled at work why people seem to like playing in flood water.

ok then off road experts, why the bow wave? (genuine question, I have the off road driving ability of a snowman!)

errrr I think its the force of displacement

A bow wave, in the correct position, will lower the water level behind it.

This can help create an artificially low water level around the air intakes, electrics and engine area meaning you can get through deeper water than you would otherwise be able to manage.

Wouldn't want to rely on being able to do it though, I just stick to the wading depth of my vehicle.

[img] [/img]

Kona, yes, it's the road that takes you past the Abbey, up the hill and then towards Sandy Lane and Devizes. The last shot with the footpath sign has the Abbey in the background behind the trees.

check the guy with the BIG number plate-- giving his infant a thrill --bet he's driving round looking for roads to 'swoosh' through

Think of the stupidest person you know. Do they have a driving license? Probably.

A bow wave, in the correct position, will lower the water level behind it.

I would not want to cut it so fine that you have to rely on this effect, at least not in my own car!

Done loads this last week. Only one was a bit deeper than expected. Got away with it. Wouldn't drive through a flooded ford thought.

HoratioHufnagel - Member
Isn't there quite a lot of raw sewage in flood water too?

I used to do a lot of kayaking and have got on many a river that has burst its banks.

The sewage is the least of your worries. Moving water higher than your calf can knock you off your feet. Brown water hides a multitude of dangers, not least raised drain covers, siphons and sumps that you will disappear into and never come out of - also see barb wire, branches, broken glass and metal, foot entrapments (branches/rocks, street furniture)

I was ill a lot after paddling flooded rivers, that is after taking precautions like proper washing and a pint of coke (;)) when I got off.
Everything that has ever died near a river or water course gets washed in. Plenty of extra animal die and get washed in to the water too. Chemicals are washed off the roads and agricultural land.

There are plenty of reasons not to go in flood water but as a kayaker it is ****in amazing - to paraphase William Nealy - "like riding a run away train".

Everything that has ever died near a river or water course gets washed in. Plenty of extra animal die and get washed in to the water too.

[quote=molgrips]Think of the stupidest person you know. Do they have a driving license? Probably.

[nealglover- A bow wave, in the correct position, will lower the water level behind it.]

I would not want to cut it so fine that you have to rely on this effect, at least not in my own car!

Neither would I, that would be why I said this directly after what you quoted wouldn't it ?

Wouldn't want to rely on being able to do it though, I just stick to the wading depth of my vehicle

Drove down to Bishop Aukland today, near Darlington, for a photoshoot with an old lady and her dogs. After finding the main roads all closed, I took off down some tiny country roads which seemed to go in about the right direction.

I got my phone out to cancel twice, both times within five miles of the client's house. But one of the dogs was 16, deaf and blind and hadn't eaten for three days, so I persevered.

The whole place was just under water. The roads were rivers and the fields were ponds. Scary stuff but a large part of me relished it. Good photoshoot too 🙂

Edit - desiel Volvo saloon BTW. Coped very well.

[img]

I would not want to cut it so fine that you have to rely on this effect, at least not in my own car!

It's actually a pretty standard 4wd technique taught on courses down here in Oz. You'd never get anywhere in the tropics without, as although a snorkel solves the air intake issue, it doesn't raise the electrics. Coupled with a radiator grille blind to reduce water anywhere near the fan, and it's surprising how far you can get

This was never going to end well.....

[img] [/img]

... for me..... 😥

[img] [/img]

This was never going to end well.....

Clueless people in 4x4s who appear to be under the impression that having a such a vehicle means they don’t have to adapt their driving for any weather condition, as illustrated by lots of women crashing SUVs near us last time it snowed.

People who enter a car/vehicle seem to transmorph into all action super heroes-- they watch to many filuums 😀

Why do people drive through floods?

The question is too specific. The real question is "Why are people stupid?". And it's more of a rhetorical question really.

I also can't believe people are still surprised by motorists doing idiotic things. 😀

ditto

There are plenty of reasons not to go in flood water but as a kayaker it is ****in amazing - to paraphase William Nealy - "like riding a run away train".

Hell yeah. Our Thursday morning swim is so on. Did a mile in under ten minutes last time it was proper going like it is at the moment, and breaking out into eddies is a real buzz. I only do it on rivers that I know like the back of my hand, but as long as I know the get outs (and know that there are some get outs in eddies so I don't have to hang onto trees to pull myself out!) it is real fun.

Sewage is a really bad problem in some rivers like the Thames in London, where the sewage stuff doesn't have the capacity, so they dump any time there is a really big lot of rain, yuck. Round here I think it is mostly more extra mud and sticks and whatever comes off the fields, although I will get out before the sewage works outflow on Thursday just to be on the safe side.

Some idiot rode their bike through floodwater to get to work this morning:

[url= https://pbs.twimg.com/media/A8sY9bRCAAAzoMh.jp g" target="_blank">https://pbs.twimg.com/media/A8sY9bRCAAAzoMh.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

Because they thought they owned a haddock not a Honda.

Apparently a tweet police down south posted about someone according to Radio 2.

I drove through three flooded steam things in New Zealand Southern Alps last year miles from anywhere. Walked all of them first to suss them out then drove nervously through. I think most peoples lives are so routine they now have no concept of not being able to drive where they want.

Why?

FWIW I've driven a 4x4 with a roof level air intake through water which came up to the bonnet/side windows - very cool. I've also towed people out of "puddles" not even a foot deep.

Our Thursday morning swim is so on. Did a mile in under ten minutes last time it was proper going like it is at the moment, and breaking out into eddies is a real buzz.

You sound like a nut job. Kudos.

Isn't there quite a lot of raw sewage in flood water too?

Depends where it is. Towns and cities yes.
In the countryside it tends to be more fertiliser/manure washed off fields and if you're especially unlucky and the water has run across a dairy farm before ending up where it is, then loads and loads of cow shit which is thoroughly unpleasant stuff.

The thing that bothers me is at what water depth does my boring family hatchback start to float? As in the back wheels getting light and drifting to the side, down with the flow. Has anyone been there?