My neighborhood flooded - Flex is dead, Audi is wounded, C5Z and 986 S survived.

In reply to Javelin (Forum Supporter) :

Have you started shopping for Fiestas yet?

Sorry to hear about the flooding, but at leastit seems the vehicles that are important to you survived OK.

So did you drive the flex into the water or?  Trying to figure out how it ingested water and died 

Patrick (Forum Supporter) said:

So did you drive the flex into the water or?  Trying to figure out how it ingested water and died 

I had that thought, but also would suggest not answering the question.

Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:

Patrick (Forum Supporter) said:

So did you drive the flex into the water or?  Trying to figure out how it ingested water and died 

I had that thought, but also would suggest not answering the question.

We were literally driving when a flash flood hit. Like one second it's just raining really hard and everything is fine and the next there's water up to the hood pushing the car sideways.

That sounds absolutely terrifying. Glad you are all safe.

Javelin (Forum Supporter) said:

Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:

Patrick (Forum Supporter) said:

So did you drive the flex into the water or?  Trying to figure out how it ingested water and died 

I had that thought, but also would suggest not answering the question.

We were literally driving when a flash flood hit. Like one second it's just raining really hard and everything is fine and the next there's water up to the hood pushing the car sideways.

Wow.  That's crazy.  Glad to hear you're ok and the damage appears to be tolerable. Hopefully insurance covers it.

Ian F (Forum Supporter) said:

Javelin (Forum Supporter) said:

Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:

Patrick (Forum Supporter) said:

So did you drive the flex into the water or?  Trying to figure out how it ingested water and died 

I had that thought, but also would suggest not answering the question.

We were literally driving when a flash flood hit. Like one second it's just raining really hard and everything is fine and the next there's water up to the hood pushing the car sideways.

Wow.  That's crazy.  Glad to hear you're ok and the damage appears to be tolerable. Hopefully insurance covers it.

Oh, that's terrifying. Extremely dangerous situation. I'm glad you survived!

In reply to Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) :

We didn't even realize what was going on. We had just exited the freeway from buying Jeff's Rover. I was in front in the Rover and Suzi was following me on the Flex. As we rounded the corner into the neighborhood there was a puddle across the road, which is normal during rain, and as I drive into it a boil of water came out of the storm drains on my left all the way down the street. In a Range Rover something like that is met with slight confusion but no more, and then I looked on the rear view and saw the Flex crabbing sideways as the water kept coming. Suzi drove it up on to the sidewalk to get a little more clearance and kept it running until she was out of the water as the street rose up. She abandoned it and walked to our house. Then we were really busy with trying to save the house.

Something tripped three of the dewatering pumps for the neighborhood and they didn't turn back on. I think they tripped off and the surge backflowed up right as we were driving by.

The Audi should be okay, we dried everything out and it runs like it always has. Rover is fine. House is good, just a lot of debris in the yard and plant damage and our retaining wall is not plumb anymore. Nothing permanent. Only claim will be the Flex. Much more worried about all the electronics in it than the engine. 

Why was the flex so hated? I must've missed the thread. My wife wants one when her mazda5 dies....

Oof. Glad everyone is safe

Dusterbd13-michael (Forum Supporter) said:

Why was the flex so hated? I must've missed the thread. My wife wants one when her mazda5 dies....

EcoBoost Flex is on the very short list of "automatics I'd drive." I'd also like to hear Jav's experience. Is this one you bought from a shady lot, or a "legit" used car dept of a real dealership? 

AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:

Dusterbd13-michael (Forum Supporter) said:

Why was the flex so hated? I must've missed the thread. My wife wants one when her mazda5 dies....

EcoBoost Flex is on the very short list of "automatics I'd drive." I'd also like to hear Jav's experience. Is this one you bought from a shady lot, or a "legit" used car dept of a real dealership? 

I got mine from the shadiest of car lots. It was also legit a regional sales rep demo car (it's VIN 00600) and as such had every single option including airbags inside the seatbelts and a refrigerator.

I like it, it's just hard to work on (transverse) and had a lot of electronics and the parts situation is crap. It's been under a serious recall for over a year for a rear suspension part that Ford STILL hasn't made!

That sucks.  That happened to me about 6 years ago.  I was coming home as the storm hit and turned and there was a river with logs coming at me.  Kept going and kept it between the ditches using lightning to see the power poles and got through the last intersection as water was up to the doors, made it through right before it started eating vehicles.  Flash floods are scary E36 M3, glad you're not dead

Sorry to hear that! Glad your family is okay.

Flex Insurance $$$ = ???

Wow!  I am glad Jav and his family are ok!  That must have been terrifying for your wife.

Javelin (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) :

We didn't even realize what was going on. We had just exited the freeway from buying Jeff's Rover. I was in front in the Rover and Suzi was following me on the Flex. As we rounded the corner into the neighborhood there was a puddle across the road, which is normal during rain, and as I drive into it a boil of water came out of the storm drains on my left all the way down the street. In a Range Rover something like that is met with slight confusion but no more, and then I looked on the rear view and saw the Flex crabbing sideways as the water kept coming. Suzi drove it up on to the sidewalk to get a little more clearance and kept it running until she was out of the water as the street rose up. She abandoned it and walked to our house. Then we were really busy with trying to save the house.

Something tripped three of the dewatering pumps for the neighborhood and they didn't turn back on. I think they tripped off and the surge backflowed up right as we were driving by.

The Audi should be okay, we dried everything out and it runs like it always has. Rover is fine. House is good, just a lot of debris in the yard and plant damage and our retaining wall is not plumb anymore. Nothing permanent. Only claim will be the Flex. Much more worried about all the electronics in it than the engine. 

i found myself in a semi similar situation in Houston back in 2015.

Those situations suck

Grateful it wasn't any worse for you and your wife. That would have been very scary. 

Glad to hear all is well and getting better. I assume the model cars are okay!

Javelin (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) :

We didn't even realize what was going on. We had just exited the freeway from buying Jeff's Rover. I was in front in the Rover and Suzi was following me on the Flex. As we rounded the corner into the neighborhood there was a puddle across the road, which is normal during rain, and as I drive into it a boil of water came out of the storm drains on my left all the way down the street. In a Range Rover something like that is met with slight confusion but no more, and then I looked on the rear view and saw the Flex crabbing sideways as the water kept coming. Suzi drove it up on to the sidewalk to get a little more clearance and kept it running until she was out of the water as the street rose up. She abandoned it and walked to our house. Then we were really busy with trying to save the house.

Something tripped three of the dewatering pumps for the neighborhood and they didn't turn back on. I think they tripped off and the surge backflowed up right as we were driving by.

The Audi should be okay, we dried everything out and it runs like it always has. Rover is fine. House is good, just a lot of debris in the yard and plant damage and our retaining wall is not plumb anymore. Nothing permanent. Only claim will be the Flex. Much more worried about all the electronics in it than the engine. 

Sounds like your wife handled it better than mine would.  She has a distressing habit of freezing in stressful situations.  Glad everyone is ok

Jav,

I think that was the hardest I have ever seen it rain in my life. I was working at the time and things got crazy fast. I received a panicked call from one of your neighbors about water coming out of the drains, luckily no real power issues besides a few lightning strikes. Hopefully no lasting damage beyond the Edge. 
Jcamper

Whoa... That's crazy. I wouldn't have imagined it was doing anything so crazy so near from my perspective in PDX...

Glad the only real casualty was your least favorite vehicle!

In reply to Jcamper :

One of the neighbors said the rain gauge showed 3" in about 20 minutes!

Sheesh that's a lot of rain!  Glad it wasn't worse.  Cars are replaceable.

Yikes, glad you came out of it alright.  Been in a flash flood before, but nothing that serious.