PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (WAGM) – This summer was a little drier than last year and that means there were fewer flash flood warnings in Aroostook County.

Darren Woods, director of the Aroostook County Management Agency, says heavy rains can still cause problems for motorists and that people should be extra cautious when driving, even when there is little water on the roadway.

“It’s causing some disruption on the roads. When we see a rapid rise in rivers, we just tell people to follow the advice of local authorities and avoid closed off areas. It only takes a few inches to actually move your car, so if the road is flooded, you should find an alternate route. If there’s just a few inches or even just an inch of water on the road, you’re at risk of hydroplaning. That’s basically the start of something that could get a lot worse for you and your vehicle. So the weather service has a mantra of ‘turn around, don’t drown.’ That’s a really good rule of thumb. When we see flash flooding and people have problems with their vehicles or drown, most of the time it’s because they didn’t heed the warning and didn’t turn around.”

Officials recommend finding an alternative route when encountering flooded roads to avoid the risk of drowning or vehicle flooding.

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