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Crossing a stream in flash flood

Dave Decker

Dave Decker

Rank V
Launch Member

Advocate III

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:

 
KD7WCD

KD7WCD

Rank VI
Founder 500
Member
Investor

Influencer I

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!

Sent from my XT1650 using OB Talk mobile app
 
buckwilk

buckwilk

Rank IV

Advocate II

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.
 
TreXTerra

TreXTerra

Rank V
Launch Member

Advocate II

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.
 
iluvdrt

iluvdrt

Rank VI
Launch Member

Influencer I

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

Saints&Sailors

Rank IV

Pathfinder I

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

TOMB

Local Expert Central Valley CA
Member
Member

Explorer I

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.


Sent from my iPhone using OB Talk
 
C

Curtis2010

Rank III

Advocate II

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

Enviado desde mi SM-J110M mediante Tapatalk
 
C

Curtis2010

Rank III

Advocate II

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.



Enviado desde mi SM-T820 mediante Tapatalk
 
Longshot270

Longshot270

Rank V
Launch Member

Experimenter I

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.
 
Last edited:
Kevigizmo

Kevigizmo

Western Europe Moderator
Launch Member

Influencer II

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
 
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