I listened in horror earlier this week as my cycling coach told our class about the recent loss of her Subaru, and almost her life. It happened on her way to the gym in the early morning hours while the wet and windy remnants of Hurricane Ida were being felt here in southern Rhode Island. My coach took the exit off the highway and made her way down the main street and took a right towards our facility. It was darker than usual because the power had gone out and along with it, the street lights overhead. Without warning, she began floating, flood water began to fill her car, and then the unspeakable---the car shut off. Unable to roll down her windows, and with the water rushing in, it was a miracle that a police officer appeared out of nowhere and helped her open her car door where she then stood in hip-deep flood waters.
I took a driver's education course decades ago. At that time, they didn't teach us about climate change, global warning, flash flooding, or the dangers of intense weather. They should now!! That education could save a life, which is what I am endeavoring to do here. So to my adult children, friends and family, near and far, please pay attention. Don't venture out in uncertain conditions, and if you do, please don't take chances with the power of water, even if you drive a big SUV. My coach could easily have drowned in her vehicle that morning. Blessedly, all she lost was her car.
