[RunGaDa]

Voted Others.
I am a flash flood survivor and one of my vehicles - a damn good VW Passat got flooded and totaled in a flash flood. I was on the way to office from my home in Texas when a sudden morning storm came and my neighborhood started getting pounded with heavy rain. I was unaware of the flood as I started for office. As I saw a flood of water coming towards me, I stopped and reversed the car. But the water current was too strong and within 15 seconds the flood water reached my foot inside the car. I came out quickly and just stood by the road side safe place to see my car flood.

[doomketu]

I prefer to assess the risk but ideally i prefer staying at home. I did have to drive thru water logged streets a few times in the rains , and since my sedan has a 165mm GC, it scrapes and touches the hidden " Ramesh , Pakya and Charan's" of Bangalore. The potholes being obscured by the water logging are some of the most dangerous encounters on the roads, especially towards the night.
If i am on my Two-Wheeler, i will just quietly nest at the nearest available petrol pump till the weather clears and water recedes, or plot an alternate route around it.

[anjan_c2007]

"Water logged" as on the thread title throws up many options with many permutations and combinations. If we are very familiar with the route and the chronic water logging, we are ourselves the best judges. For new routes, if there's water logging, we need to wait and observe whether vehicles of our respective categories are negotiating the pool of water. And if so, how safely ? If you are in a sedan/hatch observe a sedan/hatch negotiate. They could be more familiar with the water logged stretch. If there's a danger it's safer to retreat.

But like the OP states, "dry weather earlier and a sudden deluge while returning", due caution needs to be exercised. Again here the same thumb rule applies. Check out how others are negotiating the stretch. If you're in a SUV, and other SUV's and moving through, we need not hesitate to move on.

But always one must be very cautious about uncovered manholes on the kerbsides. Its advisable to move on the central portion or the right lane on a multilane road.

[FLYBOYSID]

While in Bengaluru an Ludhiana, I have come across situations where I have arrived at flooded/ waterlogged streets and they were my only options to reach my destination. When I am familiar with the road (which is now flooded), I have always chosen to drive through after assessing for any other risks apart from the water level. First time I did it, I had water at upto the bonnet level in my SX4. It was a nerve wrecking 200 m drive/ wade through, felt like a fool for trying it at that instant and after the ordeal just loved the feeling felt like I had a capable car.

In unfamiliar areas, I always wait for someone else to take the leap, observe that vehicle and then take a call for myself.

Will never try it with flowing water with level anywhere above my tyre sidewall. In this case, it will be a wait or an alternate route.

[alphamike_1612]

OT (Mods please move if inappropriate here)

Members who have had their cars wrecked due to rains, have you been successful in claiming insurance for the damages or was it denied stating User error? Please give your insurer name and whether you took any specific addons too.

Thanks.

[karthis91]

The worst situation amongst all is that you have already left home - you are in office or somewhere else and it has started pouring. I would frantically try to avoid such situation in monsoons by reading weather updates, but there are still days when you will end up with bad luck.

I generally gauge such days by viewing the traffic updates on Google maps before leaving office. If it is worse, possibly delay the start time. Avoid worst choked roads if possible, there are chances of waterlogging induced traffic. Avoid any new routes, stick to the ones you know. Even in known roads, we have enough hazards like unexpected roadwork, maintenance, etc happening.

If it is real bad, I would prefer going home in a cab or even a public transport that day.

[ZenMaster]

Best option during rains is travelling by BUS(i.e. Public Transport)

[vj_torqueaddict]

There is no fool proof way of assessing indian roads. That too flooded. Uncovered manholes, dug up pits etc are too huge a risk. I havent personally faced flooded scenario, but I will simply reverse and take a safer route.

[Mystic]

I voted other. I study the situation and take a call. It is not the same always. If it is my home city and I know the road condition every inch along with pot holes, my decisions would be different from other cities which I am not aware of the roads when the weather is good.

1. I always travel by looking at weather report which is pretty accurate in these days by hour. I plan my travel as per weather. If multiple vehicles are in garage, appropriate vehicle will be taken.

2. In Bangalore subways, I always avoid the under pass even if there is a drizzle. One has an option to take service road always on top of the bridge. Why take a chance when you can spend few minutes more on commute for safe passage.

3. Do not blindly follow big buses, trucks in flooded areas in under pass. Park your car on the road side and wait if it is too late for a u turn and you missed the service road. The rains don’t last long and the intensity comes down in few minutes.

4. There is nothing one can do in flash floods as I have experienced in USA. I have a steering lock always in my cars. Use it to break the car glass and exit.

5. No SUV will survive in water even if it is a premium brand. Respect the nature and wait. Don’t do anything heroic.

6. Be aware of the surroundings always especially in rainy season. Just imagine on how people in Netherlands which is below sea level are managing. No city in the modern world is agnostic to the floods in spite of the best flood drains constructed. Extreme weather conditions is becoming common nowadays.

7. I have done research in civil engineering and in our college days, our professor told us that a highway is called highway because it is always at a higher elevation from surroundings and hence is not flooded easily hindering the free movement of vehicles for transportation. If a highway is flooded, then the design is not correct.

[lapis_lazuli]

Originally Posted by GeeTee TSI

My biggest nightmare is a flooded underpass with no warning (early enough) and no way to turn back except venture into that hell. Even if there is one (broken down) car on the left I will line up to it, keep the hood open with hazard lights making it clear I am not in a position to move.

Voted for #2 considering #3 is not possible, also since I cannot really assess #1 well enough sitting in the car at that very moment.

You said it man! This was exactly what I was trying to convey: no early warning situation. Thanks a ton for putting it so simply.

Why the under pass gets dangerously waterlogged (a lady has drowned whilst inside the car in 2020 rains in an underpass in Gurgaon) deserves a seperate thread. Is it a civil engineering challenge?

[padmrajravi]

My usual policy is to find an alternate route. That said, I have had to drive through it once, during the infamous 2018 Kerala floods. I tried taking an alternate route and even that route was flooded. I waited for some time thinking about what to do and saw a tempo traveller crossing successfully. The rain was becoming even more violent and I took a risk. Fortunately, the Hexa was able to wade through. Water did not enter the car, but a lot of dirt and leaves got stuck in grill and bumper joints.

[anup_av]

I voted for driving through the flooded roads after assessing the risk, however now that I’ve read the risks and consequences many of you have enlisted and experienced, I am going to think 10 times before driving through flooded roads next time.

[mack.mehul]

This time in Delhi i had to accidentally cross an underpass which had almost 2-3 feet of water in my glanza. Though i managed to cross it by driving in first gear with a little bit of clutch however i saw the SUVs like creta, seltos and the likes breezing through it like it was a childs play and given how hard it has started to rain in delhi these days, made me think that SUV really have some advantage though i like a low slung cars.

[Mafia]

The flooding situation in various geographies depend on local factors. With climate change, the intensity or rain has increased.

There is no single right answer to tackling flooded roads.

If it is daily commute, you can assess the situation relatively easily. If driving out of town, better to be cautious.

Loss of vehicle is one aspect, loss of life is not acceptable.

[Joe367]

I would wait for 10-15 minutes and observe how other vehicles perform 😁. One time in Ernakulam, most of the people were backing off and then one guy with his old Honda Amaze made the cross effortlessly. Given how low the ground clearance of the Amaze was, it made me confident that I can also make that cross with my Kwid and followed him.