A Flash Flood Watch has been issued for Roanoke County and the surrounding area tonight until 5 AM tomorrow. Thunderstorms are expected to develop and torrential downpours are possible. The National Weather Service is predicting that 1 to 3 inches of rain is possible in a very short period of time.
Hard, driving rain spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E for travelers, especially those traveling on I-81 with tractor trailers. Having these sudden, heavy downpours at night makes things even more dangerous.
Use these tips if you find yourself on the highway in a heavy downpour:
- Make your technology work for you. Install an app with up-to the minute weather alerts. Be sure to check your route for potential severe weather BEFORE hitting the road. Make sure that you turn your phone’s location services to “ON” when traveling. I use “The Weather Channel” on my phone and have the notifications set to “allow”. If notifications occur while traveling, ask a passenger to advise you of the notice or pull over at the next exit to read the information. I also use “WAZE”. This app alerts me through my car’s bluetooth system of any road hazards, stalled vehicles, or heavy traffic on my route.
- Be prepared. Before hitting the road, make sure that headlights and wipers are in good, working condition.
- Minimize distractions. When the rains come, turn the radio down. If you are using a hands-free device, turn it off as well. Do not hesitate to tell passengers that you will need to have a quiet car until the rain lets up.
- Turn headlights on when you turn your wipers on. In downpours, visibility is decreased. Turn on your headlights even if your car has daytime running lights, turning on the headlights causes the taillights to come on as well.
- Maintain a greater following distance than usual. Having more space between vehicles allows for more reaction time.
- Slow and steady. Those words have never been truer than when traveling on a flooded highway. To keep your vehicle from hydroplaning, decrease your speed to prevent your car from riding on top of the water. Do not use the cruise during heavy rainfall, if your vehicle hydroplanes, the automated acceleration may kick in when your tires regain traction on the pavement, causing you to lose control of your car.
- Monitor road conditions. If water is covering the markings of the road, it is too deep to drive on that road. Find a safe place to pull over.
- Stay home. When flash floods or torrential downpours are in the forecast, it is not time for a Target run. Stay in, read a book, cook real food, maybe catch up on your sleep. Think of driving in heavy rain as you would driving in snow or ice, because it can be just as dangerous.
If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident in Virginia or West Virginia, call The Thomson Law Firm today to discuss your potential personal injury claim. Call today for your FREE NO OBLIGATION consultation.
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