ATLANTA — North Georgia flash flooding that killed a woman in Murray County has brought fresh warnings about how fast rushing water can become dangerous.
Recent rescues and an ABC News training demonstration showed what experts say people can do if floodwater starts rising around a car or home.
ABC News meteorologist Ginger Zee visited a North Carolina training ground where pumps can push more than 200,000 gallons of water a minute through a channel and into a mock neighborhood to simulate a flash flood.
One of the biggest dangers is getting stuck in a flooded car.
Former Cobb County sheriff’s deputy Julie Barrs died in that kind of situation in Murray County last week.
“Almost half of the flood-related deaths involve vehicles that have driven around a barricade or into the flooded water,” Jeremy Edmonds, North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal training specialist, said.
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A road covered in water may look safe enough to cross, but the water can hide dips in the road or run deeper than it looks.
“People are always thinking, ‘Oh, I can drive in there.’ No,” Ginger Zee said.
“It takes only about 12 inches of water to float or start moving a vehicle,” Edmonds said. “You might end up trapped in that vehicle or out of sight. So turn around, don’t drown is what we say.”
Zee showed what to do if water starts filling a car: Take off the seat belt and get the window down.
If the window won’t go down, she said, the pressure can make it hard to open the doors.
Experts said car windows or a sunroof may work for only about 60 seconds after a car enters the water.
If water rises inside a home, experts said to get to high ground but stay out of the attic. Rising water can trap people there and keep rescuers from seeing them.
They said the roof is the safer place to go.
Zee also said people should stay calm and avoid overwhelming rescuers so everyone can get out as quickly and smoothly as possible.
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