Flood water from Hurricane Ida in Virginia this past week- I spent the weekend in Surry, VA where many of the roads in this section of Virginia cut through marsh land. The photo above is from a beautiful swamp in the Surry, Isle of Wight area which is normally very tranquil. The ground was saturated after days of non-stop rain, causing a washout of sections of roads including Route 10 in Virginia. The ferry from Surry to Williamsburg was closed for several days.

The creek overflowed it's bank and fast moving water washed out the gravel road. Water was at least 18" deep, the gravel base had been washed out causing huge potholes and creating a dangerous situation. Locally, when the Timber Lake Dam broke several years ago after days of rain, people crossing flooded roadways were killed.

If you ever come across a FLOODED ROAD like this, be aware: 

As little as one foot of water can move most cars off the road.

Just six inches of fast-moving flood water can sweep a person off his or her feet.

Most flood-related deaths occur at night and are vehicular.

Urban and small stream flash floods often occur in less than one hour.

Tropical cyclones pose significant risk well inland due to fresh water flooding.