If you've driven in New Orleans for even one summer, you know how fast a street can go from dry to knee-deep. September is the busiest stretch of hurricane season and one of our rainiest months, and every year the same thing happens: a hard afternoon storm parks over the city, the drainage can't keep up, and drivers find themselves stalled in water that wasn't there twenty minutes ago. If it happens to you, one decision in the first few seconds makes the difference between a simple tow and a wrecked engine.
If your car stalls in high water, do not try to restart it. We know the instinct is to crank it and get moving again, but that's exactly what turns a bad situation into an expensive one.
Here's why. When an engine sits in deep water, it can pull water in through the air intake. Water doesn't compress the way air does, so when you try to fire the engine back up, that trapped water has nowhere to go. It can bend connecting rods or crack the block — damage that often costs more than the car is worth. A stalled car sitting in water can usually be dried out and saved. A stalled car that someone tried to restart underwater usually can't. Turn the key off, leave it off, and call for a tow.
A car can be replaced. Before you worry about the vehicle, get yourself somewhere safe.
If water is rising around you and it's safe to step out, get out and move to higher ground. Don't sit and wait it out in a car in rising water. And don't wade or walk through moving water to reach your vehicle or anything else — just six inches of moving water can knock an adult off their feet, and you can't see downed power lines, open drains, or debris under the surface. Get to a dry, safe spot, then call us.
Most flood damage happens because it's genuinely hard to judge depth from the driver's seat. A good rule of thumb, straight from flood-safety guidance:
When you pull up to a flooded street, you usually can't tell if it's six inches or two feet, and you can't see what the water is hiding. Turn around and find another route. It's the cheapest decision you'll make all day.
Sometimes you push through standing water and the car keeps running, but that doesn't always mean you're in the clear. Driving through deep water can force it into places it shouldn't be. In the days after, watch for the engine running rough, new warning lights, brakes that feel soft or grabby, or a musty, damp smell inside. If anything feels off, get it looked at before a small problem becomes a big repair.
A car that stalled in water shouldn't be started, and often shouldn't be dragged very far on its own wheels either. That's where a flatbed matters. We can get the whole vehicle up out of the water and fully supported on the bed, then deliver it straight to your shop without forcing the engine or risking more damage on the way. It's the safe way to move a flood-stalled car, and it's how we handle every one of these calls.
We've pulled a lot of cars out of New Orleans high water over the years, and we know the low spots, the underpasses, and the intersections that flood before anywhere else. When a storm catches you out, we know how to reach you and how to get your vehicle out safely. We're available around the clock across Greater New Orleans, Metairie, Kenner, and Gretna.
If your car stalls in flood water, remember: don't restart it, get yourself somewhere safe, and call us at (504) 884-7883. We'll take it from there.
TJ Towing is available 24/7 across greater New Orleans for emergency towing, roadside assistance, and more.
Call (504) 884-7883