How much water can move a car?
Drag the water up and watch what happens. Most people guess it takes a metre. It takes far less, and on a flooded road you can't see how deep it is.
Three numbers to remember
For fast-moving water. Tap one to see it in the simulator.
If a road is flooded
Never drive into water when you can't see the road under it. Find another route or wait for it to drain.
They flood first and fastest, and the water is often deeper than it looks.
Unbuckle, open the window early, get out and climb onto the roof or higher ground. Leave the car, not the people.
The National Center of Meteorology and the police announce closures and warnings. In an emergency, call 999.
Sources: US National Weather Service, "Turn Around, Don't Drown": 6 inches (15 cm) of fast-moving flood water can knock over an adult, 12 inches (30 cm) of rushing water can carry away most cars, and 2 feet (60 cm) can carry away SUVs and trucks. UAE National Center of Meteorology, reported by WAM (April 2024): the rain of 16 April 2024, up to 254 mm in under 24 hours at Khatm Al Shakla in Al Ain, was the heaviest since records began in 1949, and many roads and underpasses flooded within hours. Real depths depend on the car, the speed of the water and the road. The simulator is a simplified picture, not an engineering model.