Turn Around Don’t Drown

The Upstate of South Carolina is under a flood watch through Tuesday morning. Residents are encouraged to plan accordingly for the weather, says Oconee County Emergency Services Deputy Chief of Emergency Management and Special Operations Scott Krein. “Give yourself a little more time and give yourself a little more distance. The roads are wet and we have some puddling on the roadway. The other thing is turn around, don’t drown. If the road gets covered for some reason, a drain is plugged and you see tons of water in the area, we have lots of different ways to get different places. So, turn around, you don’t always know the road is safe to go through. We always want to make that the mantra during heavy rains is take a little extra bit more time and be cautious because you don’t always know what is underneath that water.” It only takes six inches of water to move a vehicle, continues Chief Krein. “In our area, we have the mountains and the hills, which moves that water rapidly and it doesn’t take very much to sweep a car away.” When thunder roars, go indoors. Chief Krein encourages residents to take shelter indoors when thunderstorms appear in your area. “Well, the biggest thing is we want to make sure people go inside. Get out of those elements. Stop what you are doing, if you are outside, and move to a safe environment, generally your house is a safe area. Underneath a tree is not, though it seems like shelter, they are the tallest thing around and so they could be struck by lightening. So, basically move indoors and take a little bit of time while that storm passes.” Several inches of rain are possible with this storm. The heaviest rain may produce flooding along streams, creeks and rivers. Motorists are also cautioned not to park along streams, creeks and rivers during heavy rainfall as these areas can flood quickly and with little warning.