Debby’s remnants flood roads, strand vehicles in Maryland

GAITHERSBURG, Md. – The remnants of Tropical Storm Debby flooded roads and stranded vehicles Friday in parts of Maryland as it hammered the region with heavy rains, flash flooding and the threat of tornadoes.

In Montgomery County, a driver and their vehicle were trapped in high water at Game Preserve Road between Clopper Road and N. Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesperson Pete Piringer said the vehicle stalled out in the flooded roadway. The driver was able to get out safely. A tow truck was called to the scene to remove the flooded car.

The National Weather Service says never drive into flooded areas. If floodwaters rise around your vehicle, abandon the car and move to higher ground if you can do so safely. NWS says six inches of water is all that’s needed to reach the bottom of most passenger cars causing loss of control and possible stalling. A foot of water will float many vehicles. Two feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles, including sport utility vehicles (SUV’s) and pick-ups, NWS says.

Debby was a tropical depression late Thursday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center said. It made landfall early Monday on the Gulf Coast of Florida as a Category 1 hurricane. Then, Debby made a second landfall early Thursday in South Carolina as a tropical storm. At least seven people have died related to Debby.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.