Why starting it is a bad idea
Engines compress air, not water. If water got into the intake, cranking the engine can bend connecting rods. Water in the electrical system can also short out modules once the battery is connected.
What to do instead
- Photograph the car and the water line on the body and inside the cabin.
- If it is safe, disconnect the negative battery cable.
- Call your insurance company. Flood damage usually falls under comprehensive coverage.
- Have the car towed on a flatbed to the shop or lot your insurer names.
Flash floods in west metro Atlanta
Creeks here rise fast. In September 2009, Sweetwater Creek near Austell reached a 500-year flood level, and most of the deaths in that flood were people in vehicles driving through water over roads. The National Weather Service warns that 12 inches of moving water can carry away most cars. If water covers the road, turn around.
Sources
This guide is general information, not legal advice.