Getting your car ready for Texas flash floods

Flash flooding is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in Texas, and a few inches of moving water are enough to lose control. What to do before the storm, at a flooded crossing and afterward, if water got into the car.

In Texas the risk that destroys the most cars is not spectacular: it is heavy rain that turns a low street into a river in 20 minutes. Half of flood deaths in the United States happen inside a vehicle. The rule fits in one sentence: water on the road, turn around.

Before the rainy season

• Know the low points on your daily route: underpasses, crossings next to creeks, underground garages. They flood first.
• New wiper blades and tires with tread: with water on the road, hydroplaning starts at 50 mph on worn tires.
• Comprehensive coverage on your insurance: flooding goes there. Without it, the car is a total loss out of your pocket.
• Flash-flood alerts enabled on your phone.
• Trunk kit: flashlight, charger, water, and a window breaker/seat-belt cutter within the driver's reach (not in the trunk).

When it rains hard

• Never cross moving water. Six inches and you lose control; a foot and the car floats; two feet and it is swept away. You can't see whether the pavement is still underneath.
• Still water you don't know: also no. A pothole under water breaks the suspension; an open storm drain swallows a wheel.
• If the car dies in water: don't try to restart it. Get out through the window if the door won't open and get to high ground.
• Underground garages and low streets: move the car to a high floor before the storm, not during.

After

• Don't start a car that had water above the door sills. Photos of the water line, call the insurer, battery disconnected, carpets out.
• Mold starts in 48 hours and wiring fails in weeks: a car "dried out" on a lot is a time bomb.
• Buying used in Texas after a rainy season: sand in the spare-tire well, rust on seat bolts, musty smell, condensation in the headlamps. Check the history and ask for an electrical inspection.