Crossing a stream in flash flood

[Dave Decker]

Quick poll: How many of you out there would cross an arroyo in flash flood if: 1) you were familiar with the bed of the arroyo and had a general idea how deep it was? Or 2) had no idea what the bed of the arroyo was like or how deep? Here is a video of situation number 1 from this past weekend:

 

[buckwilk]

Never, either way. Flash floods are completely unpredictable. Never underestimate the power of hydraulics.

 

[KD7WCD]

Good discussion.

I've done 1 but the only other option was to wait out the rising water in the slot canyon we were already in. Ironically we ended up there because we figured the way we had already come from was flooding.

Stay out of the water when it comes to flooding!

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[buckwilk]

News from Texas this morning had a video of a guy in a tacoma drive into flooded street towards an overpass. His truck sank completely out of site.

 

[KD7WCD]

Some people don't realise the 4x4 just means 4 foot further and 4 feet deeper.

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[leeandamy]

Never go if flash flooding, wait for the waters to go down. It's not worth your rig and or life.

 

[Arizona Overland]

NO

 

[expeditionnorth]

NO.
I'm not risking my life or that of my family
regardless of what the soil underneath was, it may not be there when you cross & then what

 

[TreXTerra]

Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. and Nope.

Flash floods can be incredibly dense, full of mud, rocks, trees, and other debris. Their consistency can be close to that of wet concrete and can exert far more force than water alone. Also, floods will rapidly change the stream bed and the banks.

I was hit by a major cloudburst on my way to Moab one year, easily the worst storm I've ever seen in the desert -- and that's saying something since I've lived here most my life. The next day we were taking a trail that followed a stream bed. It was washed out, but driveable. At one point the road climbed over a hill and the stream went around it in an oxbow. The lead vehicle stopped at the top of the hill and called me up on the CB to hike up. When I arrived, I found the other half of the hill was missing. It was a 15-20 foot vertical drop down to the stream bed.

If one storm can do that, there is no way I'm risking my life and my vehicle for a crossing. It's time to backtrack or make camp and wait for the water to recede.

Check out the YouTube channel RankinStudio. This guy is based in southern Utah and manages to regularly predict flash flooding and shows up in time to film the flood arrive. Take a look at how thick those flows can be and tell me you want to drive through it.

 

[KD7WCD]

Would take much for his day to turn bad.

The boulder rolling down the wash should tell ya all you need to know.

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[iluvdrt]

I agree with the others. The only time I would ever consider driving in a flash flood is if I absolutely had too. And for that to happen there would have to be no higher hills I could run up to/ or drive up too and I was in danger where I was at (IE going to die anyways).

A few years ago in Anza a boy and his dad escaped a flood at fish creek, but their F-150 was found way down the river bed all sorts of mangled up. That vehicle still sits at the visitor center as a reminder of the dangerous conditions a flash flood can create.

 

[Saints&Sailors]

Flash flood? Not happening. Time to turn around and go home/find a hotel. Not risking my life, the people I'm with, or my vehicle just to say I did something. Attempting can easily turn a bad day into a terrible day.

 

[TOMB]

Been around them my entire life. My grandparents lost everything they owned except their lives in one. Never cross one. In my line of work and the area I cover, it is common place this time of year. Two weeks ago I was on Highway 95 outside of Vidal, just as I was crossing a wash (it was dry) I looked over and saw a three foot high wall of water coming down. I made it just in time. The sun was shinning where I was at, but up the wash a few miles it was raining. Always be aware of your surroundings. Especially in the desert.


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[somerset-andy]

Flooding was part of my job, never drive in to a flash flood.

 

[Curtis2010]

Im always amazed at the # of people who die each year trying to cross flood waters...very foolish.

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[Curtis2010]

Rio Frio, Guatemala in rainy season. I gave some locals a ride and they wanted me to try and cross this in my XJ. Nope.

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[Longshot270]

As someone who grew up in central Texas aka "flash flood alley" I'm gonna say hell no.

I watched the San Marcos river go from low flow drought to 40+ foot high in less than an hour. Think about how long you could potentially be in the low areas creeping/winching and pushing through brush and tight trails. You could be half way across a low flooding stream when a wall of water comes to give you a hug.

I keep this on my phone as a reminder, and it isn't even the worst one I've seen. For the worst one, I was prepared and had things packed, then lucky when a first responder was banging on my door a 2 am. Most others weren't prepared and many weren't so lucky.

 

[Kanobee]

No, never. The flash floods during monsoon season here in AZ are quick and deadly


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[ASNOBODY]

 

[Kevigizmo]

I would tend to agree with the others above,

No matter how well you may know the path under the water, the water itself is unpredictable,
fast flowing water of any depth has alot of power behind it,
It doesn't take much to move a vehicle with water, say 30cm of water at a high flow rate would be enough to move a small car