Protect Your Vehicles During Upcoming Hurricane Season

"When you're in the path of a hurricane, it's easy to forget about safeguarding your vehicle. Yet, in these situations, your car, minivan, sport-utility vehicle or light truck might become an important lifeline to transport you out of harm's way," said Scott Snapp, national catastrophe response manager, Progressive. "Being aware of, and preparing for, the flooding that can result from these situations is essential to keeping you and your family safe during hurricane season."

Prepare an emergency kit stocked with items that can help you get through a breakdown. These include flares, a flashlight, a roll of electrical or duct tape to temporarily fix wires or hoses, sandpaper to clean battery terminals, a pocketknife, tire gauge, a couple of cans of tire inflator/sealant, tire jack, spare tire, quart of engine oil, windshield washer fluid and water and food supplies. Also, place your auto/home insurance documents, vehicle registration and title in a waterproof bag and take them with you.

Fill your vehicle with gasoline before a storm arrives. That way you can avoid long lines at the pump later.

When you're evacuating or returning after a storm, avoid driving through standing water on roads or in parking lots. The average automobile can be swept off the road in 12 inches of moving water and roads covered by water are prone to collapse. If you come upon a flooded street, take an alternate route.

If no alternate route exists and you have no other reasonable alternative but to drive through standing water...

• Do your best to estimate the depth of the water (if other cars are driving through, take note of how deep the water is).

• Drive slowly and steadily through the water.

• If you have driven through water up to the wheel rims or higher, test your brakes on a clear patch of road at low speed. If they are wet and not stopping the vehicle as they should, dry them by pressing gently on the brake pedal with your left foot while maintaining speed with your right foot.

• If your vehicle stalls in the deep water, you may need to restart the engine to make it to safety (know, however, that restarting may cause irreparable damage to the engine).

• If you can't restart your vehicle and you become trapped in rising water, immediately abandon it for higher ground. If you are unable to get out of the vehicle safely, call 911 or get the attention of a passerby or someone standing on higher ground so that they may call for help.

• If you're evacuating an area and are leaving a vehicle behind, be sure it's not left in a low-lying area prone to flooding. If you have to park your vehicle outdoors, park it as close as possible to a sturdy building and away from trees, poles, or other large objects that may topple onto it.

• Call your insurance company immediately to report a claim. If your vehicle has been damaged by the storm, call your insurance company as quickly as possible.

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About the Author

Progressive's Catastrophe Response Team supports the claims needs of all the company's auto, motorcycle, boat and recreational vehicle customers. The Team responds to weather-related emergencies that affect large numbers of customers, such as hurricanes, hailstorms, tornadoes and floods and works with local Progressive claims representatives to help customers settle their claims quickly and accurately. Find out more at www.progressive.com