ARLINGTON, Va. — Crews worked to rescue people after several cars were stranded in rainwater Friday afternoon.
According to the Arlington County Fire Department, the cars got stuck in high waters near the area of South Joyce Street and Army Navy Drive.
Crews utilized rescue boats to get to the people trapped inside the vehicles.
Once all of the people trapped were rescued, crews with emergency medical services evaluated them. None of the people trapped were taken to area hospitals as a result of the incident.
The saying "turn around, don't drown," is often repeated during rainy weather. There are many problems that can happen when driving through flood waters:
1. Water can ruin your engine. The car's air induction system sucks in air from a scoop on the bottom of the car. Blumenfeld says if waves crash up into the intake, it's "game over." A car gulping water instead of air will bend rods and pistons since it does not compress like a fuel-air mixture. "It's like trying to get through steel," said Blumenfeld.
2. Electronics can short out. The bottom of a car is filled with them. From electronic antilock brake sensors to electronic sensors for power steering racks, Blumenfeld says sensors marinating in water will ruin them.
3. Corrosion is a car killer. Better known as rust, this is a long-term problem caused by driving through floodwaters, said Blumenfeld.
