How to Protect Your Car From Flash Floods

(Photo Credit: Reuters)

With Malaysia’s history with flash floods, have you ever wondered what you could do to avoid the headaches that come with flood-damaged vehicles? Here we discuss some measures you can take!

The recent flash floods throughout the weekend have damaged numerous vehicles, wreaking havoc on the wallets of their owners. 

Floodwater can enter various parts of the engine and damage them, leaving behind a hefty bill for overhauls and part replacements. This excludes cleaning fees that might be incurred in trying to get it back to its former condition.

However, there are measures you can take to prevent too much damage to your vehicle, which we will be listing down below!

1) Look Out for Warning Signs

(Photo Credit: Ventusky)

Malaysia’s flash floods usually occur during the monsoon seasons. There are two main monsoon periods, May to September and November to March. 

Pay attention to weather forecasts and any irregular weather updates. It will certainly pay to be more informed of any forecasted bad weather conditions as you would be able to take necessary precautions ahead of time.

2) Seek Higher Ground

(Photo Credit: Pexels)

If there are flood warnings, it would be good to get your vehicle to higher ground until the flood subsides. Floods normally affect ground and basement levels so keeping your vehicle at higher levels can help it avoid floodwater. 

This includes higher floors at a multi-storey carpark or on hills. However, be sure not to park on slopes with dirt or sand as torrential downpours might cause the road to erode, causing your car to slip.

3) Wrap Your Vehicle

(Photo Credit: Motor1)

No, not an aesthetic wrap. But rather a vacuum vehicle car bag that acts like a raincoat. It would usually cover the whole car and keep everything, including floodwater, from coming into contact with the vehicle even if it’s submerged in the flood.

It is important to note that these wraps still do not prevent dents from heavy debris that could be swept in the water so please ensure where you park your vehicle is safe from these hazards.

Bad weather and natural disasters are things we humans can't control. We can only take measures to protect ourselves from their consequences so similarly, we should do the same thing for our vehicles!

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