A Chance of Flash Flooding Could Lead to Debris in Roadway, Signal Outages
The National Weather Service warned that this week’s excessive heat could lead to isolated storms that could cause flash flooding in the Baltimore-Washington region this afternoon and into the evening. These storms, which many areas experienced Monday afternoon, develop rapidly and can produce, locally, significant rain fall. Additionally, severe weather could cause fallen trees/limbs, as well as scattered power outages.
The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) is proactively working to ensure proper drainage by clearing ditches, pipes and inlets. MDOT SHA crews working in the extreme heat will stay hydrated and seek shade and/or air conditioning to cool down as needed for health and safety. MDOT SHA urges motorists to take the following precautions:
- Don’t drive through standing water. It only takes six inches of moving water to sweep a person off his/her feet, and 12 inches of moving water to move the average sedan. Remember “Turn Around, Don’t Drown”;
- Keep a close eye on local information sources for the latest weather conditions and plan accordingly;
- Delay trips during severe weather;
- Use low-beam headlights when windshield wipers are activated;
- Don’t try to move fallen tree branches as high-voltage wires may be intertwined; and
- If power is out at a traffic signal, State law requires ALL drivers at the intersection to treat it as a four-way stop.
Motorists are urged to monitor the forecast as threat levels can change throughout the day and visit www.md511.org for real-time travel alerts and conditions.
