Every time it rains, we see people risk their cars, and worst case scenario, their lives.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue tweeted a picture with the old saying front and center: "Don't drown, turn around."
Tow truck drivers say it's that simple, when you see flooding but every day there's rain, drivers ignore the old saying and pay a heavy price.
Driving in it can be treacherous, “It's very scary,” said Sophia Kostides, of Sunrise. “You have to be very careful. Drive very slow.”
Getting stuck in rising waters can be downright dicey. “It'll drift you over into the curb,” said Randy Baker. “It's very dangerous.”
Exclusive chopper five video shows the only birds eye view of what drivers face when we get days of steady rain: flooded roadways, yards and schools.
“All the trucks have been out,” said Gene Craig, the operations manager at Kauff’s Transportation Systems.
Craig said since the rain hit, business has boomed 35 percent. “Average call volume is about 100 calls a day,” explained Craig. “Out of this terminal, we were up to 150 yesterday.”
Many of the calls are for cars and trucks stuck in water. “The biggest thing if you don't know how deep it is or what's laying under the water, don't drive through it,” said Craig.
That’s simple advice that can save your car and spare your pockets. “It's better to have wet feet than a destroyed vehicle,” said Craig. “It's cheaper to replace the shoes.”
Craig said the rule for tow truck drivers when responding to a call is not to venture into water higher than the rims.
