CHP: Flooded roadways can be misleading and dangerous, so 'turn around, don't drown'

REDDING, Calif. — Flooded roadways can be misleading when it comes to showing how deep the water is, what debris is lurking underneath and the condition of the roadway itself.

Redding's Public Works Director Chuck Aukland said heavy rainfall and flooding can create a lot of damage to roads.

"The damage to the roadway, water is really an enemy of pavement. So what happens is you get cracks in the roadway, water gets in and washes out the sand and the fine material, and then you get a void underneath there. Then the car goes over it and it cracks and pushes down that pavement and then pops out, so that’s really the enemy," Aukland said.

He advises people to not drive through flooded areas because even 6-inches to a foot of moving water can pick up a small car. In addition, not knowing exactly what could be underneath the roadway or underneath that water, or the depth of the water, is not safe according to Aukland.

The best thing to do is to avoid the area and do not try to gamble the possibility of driving through flooded roadways.

California Highway Patrol Officer Jason Morton said an example is the Churn Creek Bridge crossing where it can overflow quite often during the winter time. Officer Morton explained the water level tends to go up and down quite rapidly in the county due to the amount of rainfall we receive.

However, it's not just the rainfall but also the snow runoff leading into the lakes that then fill up which leads to more water being released from the Shasta Dam and the Keswick Dam down the Sacramento River and the smaller creeks around the area. All of the factors eventually can potentially flood roadways and neighborhoods.

"Unfortunately, it’s hard to tell sometimes if the water is going over the roadway. You think you’re going on a stable roadway but sometimes it’s just you’re the one that’s in the bad spot at the wrong time," said Officer Morton.