There’s no denying that this rain was much needed in the Dallas Ft Worth metroplex, but man oh man. When it rains in Texas, it pours. Driving in the rain can be stressful enough, but driving to work after it’s been raining non stop since the night before is just plain miserable. Especially when you’re carefully driving along in your new or used Chevy and the vehicle next to you happens to fly by, hitting a huge patch of water that engulfs your entire vehicle causing you to lose visibility for a few seconds. Anyone out there know what I’m talking about?

It’s been said that flash floods are the number one weather-related killer in the U.S. because people think they can drive through deep water or don’t pay enough attention. As I mentioned above, hitting a huge patch of water at any speed over 15mph will not only throw water onto the vehicle next to you, it’ll also jerk your Chevrolet and splash water onto your windshield skewing your visibility. If that’s ever happened to you, you know it’s beyond stomach-dropping. Especially if it happens on one our crowded DFW highways.

Since the weather man tells me that we are aren’t expecting any clear skies until at least tomorrow, I thought it might be a good idea to share some tips on how to drive in these conditions. Hopefully, this will make your drive home this evening and tomorrow morning a little less nerve-racking.

First and foremost, if you see a barricade, DO NOT drive through it. This may seem like a no-brainier, but watch the news tonight and see how many people thought they could make it through. Second, avoid driving through standing water on the road and in parking lots if at all possible. According to Progressive.com, the average automobile can be swept off the road in 12 inches of moving water, and roads covered by water are prone to collapse. Not to mention that driving through deep water can potentially stall your engine and even cause irreparable damage.

Last year, a friend and I were driving to Lubbock, Texas, during a horrible storm. The brunt of the storm hit in a small town name Seymour which only has one road out. Thinking that it would be better to get out before the flooding got worse, we decided to drive through. Horrible, horrible mistake. Before we knew it, water was up over her headlights and her engine began acting funny. After we finally pulled through, she had a difficult time accelerating. Three months later, she needed a new transmission. Moral of the story? Don’t guess at the depth of a flooded road or parking lot. Take another route if you can. Replacing the transmission on a Chevrolet or any other vehicle is not cheap.

In the event that an alternate route does not exist and you have no other reasonable alternative but to drive through standing water, Progressive.com suggests the following:

• Do your best to estimate the depth of the water (if other cars are driving through, take note of how deep the water is).
• Drive slowly and steadily through the water.
• Avoid driving in water that downed electrical or power lines have fallen in — electric current passes through water easily.
• Watch for items traveling downstream — they can trap or crush you if you’re in their path.
• If you have driven through water up to the wheel rims or higher, test your brakes on a clear patch of road at low speed. If they are wet and not stopping the vehicle as they should, dry them by pressing gently on the brake pedal with your left foot while maintaining speed with your right foot.
• Stay off the telephone unless you must report severe injuries.
• If your vehicle stalls in the deep water, you may need to restart the engine to make it to safety. Keep in mind that restarting may cause irreparable damage to the engine.
• If you can’t restart your vehicle and you become trapped in rising water, immediately abandon it for higher ground. Try to open the door or roll down the window to get out of the vehicle. If you are unable to get out safely, call 911 or get the attention of a passerby or someone standing on higher ground so that they may call for help.

Don’t become a victim of these dangerous flash floods, Dallas Ft Worth Chevrolet owners. Following these precautions and save your beloved Chevrolet and your life from injury.

Thanks to Cassidy Schafer for contributing.