Turn Around, Don’t Drown

With the overnight showers plus expected rainfall, first responders urge drivers to ‘turn around, don’t drown.’
Twenty members of the Gulfport Fire Department make up the Swift Water Rescue Team. If a vehicle gets stuck in flood water, the team has two boats and military vehicles available to pull the stranded vehicle out of the water.
Even though these rescue team members are fully trained for these situations, if a driver decides to drive through flood water they are putting their safety in jeopardy as well as the safety of first responders. Gulfport Deputy Fire Chief Billy Kelley said, “First of all, turn around, don’t drown. Six inches of water can sweep a person off their feet and up to a foot to two feet of water can sweep a vehicle away. Over two-thirds of people who die in flash floods are in a vehicle so we ask that you don’t even put yourself in that situation.”
Officials say it is never safe to drive or walk into flood waters. You never know what kind of sewage or debris is mixed in the water so it is best to avoid the area.