On TikTok, a short video filmed in Columbus, Ohio, shows floodwater swallowing a street and inundating cars with water.
Here's what to know
The footage, posted on TikTok, came from a creator documenting their own street while a tornado-warned supercell passed over Columbus. In the video, the road is entirely submerged in water.
@jessicasteele44 Reporting live from the Columbus tornado 2026, we are going under water guys #columbus #columbusohio #flood #tornado ♬ Saxophones getting louder - Sped Up - AntonioVivald
People in the comments responded with accounts of what the storm was like for them elsewhere in the area. One wrote, "I was sobbing … on my way home from work last night. my poor honda civic was nearly under water."
More background
Videos like this can reveal just how quickly a storm can put a community in danger. Storms can unload heavy rain, overload drainage systems, and make roads impassable in a matter of minutes.
The harm from worsening extreme weather disasters reaches far past what one dramatic clip can show. When streets flood, people can lose access to work, emergency crews can be slowed, vehicles can be damaged, local businesses can be interrupted, and families can be put in immediate danger if they are on the road at the wrong time.
That broader disruption showed up in the replies, where commenters talked about alerts waking them up, sirens sounding, and suddenly dangerous roads.
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What can be done?
Warnings sent to phones, tornado sirens, and flash-flood alerts exist to help people move to safety before a storm gets worse.
Flooded streets are risky to drive through even when the water seems shallow. Water on the road can conceal debris, stranded cars, broken pavement, or currents strong enough to disable a vehicle and endanger the people inside.
Getting ready can mean choosing a shelter area ahead of time, keeping phones and other devices charged, and storing basic emergency supplies in case roads are blocked or the power fails. For anyone driving, it can also mean postponing a trip while warnings are in effect instead of attempting to continue through the storm.
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