High water after heavy rains impacts Baton Rouge commuters

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Baton Rouge firefighters helped five stranded drivers get out of floodwaters on Wednesday, Aug. 3, as high water rose around the area.

More rain is expected in the coming days and officials are reminding people to not risk driving through high water.

Heavy rain in parts of the metro Baton Rouge area caused a mess on the roads.

“I just had this experience with my daughter in the Country Club,” said Ralph Fletcher, whose car stalled on Burbank Drive and Nicholson Drive. “She flooded out her little cross track. I said, ‘Never driving in water, never.’ And when I saw the water, I said, ‘No, I’m (not) going to.’ I saw people going around. You can see a gravel road there and I said, ‘Well, I’m not going to do it,’ so I got to the side trying to turn around. 18-wheeler came (and) hit the water so hard it went over my car. There’s nothing I could do.”

Many drivers were just trying to get to work but some ended up stalled for hours.

“It was frightening, like, I didn’t know what to do,” said Soheil Kafili, who also got stuck on Burbank Drive. “The water started to fill in my ... filling my car and the only thing at that moment I was like, should I call 911 or just get out of the car? So I, you know, opened the sunroof and got out of my car and waited for help.”

This is not a new situation for many in Baton Rouge.

“I’m newer still to Louisiana. It’s ... it hasn’t ... it’s been only a year,” added Kafili.

Officials remind folks to be vigilant when there is heavy rain.

“Don’t even try it. If you see it’s over the road, stop and turn around. I’ve told my daughters that and here I am doing the same thing that I’ve told them not to do,” explained Fletcher.

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