CINCINNATI -- Don’t drive through floodwaters, folks.
Floodwaters along the Ohio River reduced a man’s pickup truck to a bobber Sunday afternoon when he tried to drive through water on the corner of Kibby Lane and Gracely Drive.
Videos show the man climbing out through the driver’s side window. Luckily, he was safe. Driving on a flooded roadway is exceptionally dangerous, and driving on a closed roadway is illegal. Motorists can be ticketed up to $2,000 for driving through barricades in Ohio.
The National Weather Service says a mere 6 inches of fast-moving flood water is enough to knock over a full-grown adult, and that just a foot of rushing water can carry away a small car.
Two feet of rushing water is forceful enough to float away almost any SUV or pickup truck. Standing water over roadways can also harbor hidden dangers such as sharp objects, live electrical wires or chemicals.
Cincinnati police have repeatedly warned residents to avoid flooded roads and have also asked people to refrain from going "sightseeing in flooded areas."
This is why you dont drive into flooded areas. pic.twitter.com/j5yyoFFoZ4
— Cincinnati Police (@CincyPD) February 23, 2018
"People in these areas are likely moving their belongings to higher ground," the department tweeted. "They do not need to dodge tourists as they are attempting to evacuate."
