An analysis of the deaths that have occurred due to Hurricane Florence by the Los Angeles Times shows that more than half of the victims of the storm died while in their cars. Most were due to drowning after the cars drove past barriers or were swamped by rising water, but some also occurred when trees fell on the vehicles, injuring the drivers. Since flooding is ongoing in parts of North and South Carolina and rivers are still rising, it is not unlikely that more injuries or deaths may occur.
Remember, water does not have to be deep to wash cars off the road, and even if the road surface looks solid, it may have been undermined by erosion due to rushing water. If water covers the road, take the NWS advice and “Turn around, don’t drown.” You can read more about the study here.
