Worst-case scenario survival handbook: Shaw edition Published Sept. 23, 2009 By 2nd Lt. Ben McCorkle U.S. Air Forces Central SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- Most people stationed at Shaw probably take the opportunity to leave the local Sumter area for the weekend. Some people may leave to meet friends in larger cities and some leave for vacation. Chances are, if you left Sumter on the weekend of Sept. 18 to 20, you drove through the torrential rains that soaked the South. Particularly in Georgia, the rains caused a great deal of flooding and flash flooding. Speaking from experience, the rains reached an incredible intensity, limiting visibility on Interstate 20 to less than 50 feet and creating standing water on slopes. With South Carolina being in the line of fire for hurricanes, heavy rain leading to flash floods is not an uncommon occurrence. You may ask, "What should I do when it rains really hard and I can't see anymore?" According to James Fowlkes, 20th Fighter Wing safety, the first thing to do is keep moving - slowly -- until you reach the nearest exit. Pull over to the nearest service station off the highway and wait for the rain to subside. Stopping on an interstate is not a good idea because the traffic behind you may not see your emergency flashers, Fowlkes said. The most common mistake drivers make while driving during extremely heavy rain is driving through what appears to be large puddles. A good rule of thumb to follow is turning around if the road surface is not visible. According to an Associated Press article, the monsoons and flash flooding over the weekend were the primary contributing factor to 9 deaths.