NORTH BEACH, Md. – At 9:21 p.m., on May 22, 2022, during a heavy thunderstorm, Calvert County Emergency Communications Center alerted NBVFD, and Calvert County EMS, Dive Team, and Sheriff for two vehicles stuck in flood waters in the vicinity of 5th Street and Chesapeake Street in North Beach.
Chief 1 (Mills) arrived and established command. Squad 1, Chief 1A (Freesland), Paramedic Ambulance 219, and Ambulance 18 arrived shortly after. The occupants of one of the vehicles self-extricated before units arrived.
Squad 1’s crew deployed the squad’s inflatable raft and walked it to the vehicle. The occupants were placed in the raft and moved to dry land. No injuries were reported.
Additional flooding was reported on Dayton Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets in North Beach.
The NBVFD reminds everyone about the hazard of driving into floodwaters. Vehicles can and do stall in as little as 12” of water. The low points around the towns are notorious for flooding in heavy rains and should be avoided.In addition, floodwaters should be considered dangerous and toxic.
If you find yourself forced to wade through floodwaters, use a stick or other probe to check the area in front of you.
The flooding we experience overcomes the storm drain system, but the storm drains continue to draw water, creating strong currents that can pull adults under water.
A second hazard is manhole covers displaced by the flooding. These create drowning hazards.
Once you get home, get out of your clothes and shower as soon as possible to remove toxins from your skin. Turnaround, Don’t Drown.
Darwin was spot on…
Sure, sure. Carry a stick in case you’re ever caught in a flood. Isn’t the best solution to do what they’ve told us forever, that people cannot seem to understand – turn around don’t drown.