Glossary
Turn Around Don't Drown
The National Weather Service's flood safety message: never drive or walk into floodwater; turn around instead.
Turn Around Don't Drown® is the National Weather Service's flood safety message. It means that when you see water covering a road or path, you turn around and find another way, instead of driving or walking through it. The NWS (opens in a new tab) encourages anyone to use the phrase in flood safety outreach.
Why it matters, in the NWS's own figures:
- over half of flood-related drownings happen when a vehicle is driven into hazardous flood water, according to CDC data the NWS cites;
- the next highest share of flood deaths is people walking into or near floodwater;
- 6 inches of fast-moving water can knock over an adult, 12 inches can carry away most cars, and 2 feet can carry away SUVs and trucks.
People underestimate the force of moving water, and the road underneath may have washed out. The NWS says it is never safe to drive or walk into floodwater. The same rule applies to children playing in flooded streets or creeks after a storm. See flash flood safety at home and flash flood.
What you can do today: plan a second route home that avoids low roads and underpasses that flood.