TEXAS, USA — Texas faced yet another instance of our most common disaster — flooding — and lots of it. Some areas of East Texas saw more than six inches, which was not only inconvenient but even dangerous.
Smith and Gregg County were hit the hardest from the rain.
Water levels in Longview rose so high that residents had to make several rescue calls, including the one that Ben Clearwater with Cutter Towing took. He helped dislodge a vehicle caught in flood water in the underpass on high street.
"We got there and saw the vehicle submerged in the water," Clearwater said. "We got to do what we got to do sometimes. We got to get wet doing this job. I actually had to dive under the water to get to the bottom of the car to be able to get the hooks underneath it."
Clearwater also said that if your car gets trapped in floodwaters and you can’t open the door, you should try to roll your windows down and wait for help on the roof of your vehicle. If you drive a newer car and your automatic windows stop working, have a backup plan.
“Sometimes you're going to lose all your power when you get in water like that," Clearwater said. "It's always handy to have one little glass breaker or hammer.”
Another trick from Life Hack: if you have nothing else to use, try to pull out your headrest from the front seat of your car and use the metal ends to break the window. Keep in mind this is a last resort and it may take some time. Just make sure to aim your strikes towards an inner corner of the glass.