San Antonio firefighters were slammed with emergency calls during a vicious storm Tuesday night, handling everything from power outages and fires believed to be caused by lightning, to numerous high-water rescues, with one such perilous site being the notorious railroad underpass at the intersection of South St. Mary's Street and Roosevelt Avenue, as reported by KENS 5.

Despite the gravely obvious risks the deluge posed, some drivers tried to navigate the submerged streets and the fire department had to respond to the location which was, as it often is during heavy rains, submerged under high water and yet even as emergency lights flashed their warnings in the night, cars both large and small, their drivers perhaps driven by impatience or misguided confidence, kept tiptoeing into the hazard, some fortunately opting to backtrack and choose another path, Joe Arrington, a spokesperson for the San Antonio Fire Department remarked, "That's what we always say: Turn around, don't drown" in a statement obtained by KENS 5.

"You could have a big truck or a low-rider, whatever you have, don't chance it, because the reality is not only could you face a fine if you go around a barricade, you're putting your life at risk," Arrington noted, and not just the lives of those behind the wheel but also the lives of the firefighters who would be called upon to 'fish you out of there'.

Arrington advised against using the speed at which the storm passed as an excuse to make rash decisions, with firefighters' repeated encounters at known flood-prone spots like downtown's lower level freeway or beneath railroad bridges, he said, "It's simple, don't risk it, turn around, go a different way, this is a big city, there are multiple ways to get everywhere we're going," he pushed the importance of having a preconceived plan before the downpour starts, knowing these areas that tend to submerge under water and steering clear is vital, "'Do not go around barricades. Even if you're there before the barricades, don't risk it, it's not worth it, it's a few minutes of your day," Arrington told KENS 5.

"The reality is it only takes a little bit of water, a foot of water, to carry a vehicle away." When it comes to standing water, it could deceive you by being much deeper than it appears, and more helpful information can be found on the fire department's website to help navigate such emergencies, concluded Arrington.