Emergency officials warn of dangers of driving into floodwaters

As Severe Weather Preparedness Week wraps up emergency officials say that the biggest danger of death from natural disasters in the U.S.  is drowning and half of those deaths come from people driving or walking into floodwaters.

According to the National Weather Service, it doesn’t take much fast-moving water to sweep you away. Six inches of water can knock an adult off their feet, 12 inches can carry off a small car and if you have two feet of swift water, vans, pickups and SUVs will be swept downstream.

They are urging you that if you encounter high water over the roadway, turn around and don’t drown. Even if you think you know the area, when you come across high water on the road, you don’t know what is happening underneath. The road could be swept away.

Severe Weather Preparedness Week wraps up Saturday.