Street flooding, sinking pavement and the Atchafalaya crossing: a Louisiana vehicle checklist

Heavy rain regularly floods streets in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, and the August 2016 floods inundated neighborhoods across the Baton Rouge area. Ground clearance is a real purchase criterion here. Jeep rates the Wrangler for water fording of 30 inches on the Sport and Sahara and up to 34 inches on the Rubicon with LT315 tires, and the Gladiator at up to 31.5 inches. The Ram 1500 with air suspension rises from 8.7 inches in Normal to 10.7 in Off Road 2, on a Crew Cab with 275/55R20 tires.

Those are design ratings for slow, deliberate crossings on a known bottom, not permission to drive through a flooded street. The National Weather Service slogan, turn around, don't drown, is still the best advice. Comprehensive coverage normally includes flood damage to your own vehicle, but read the policy.

Soft soil and subsidence make a lot of Louisiana pavement ripple and crack, and some streets in New Orleans are infamous. Tall tire sidewalls help absorb impacts. The Wrangler Sport rides on 17-inch wheels with 32-inch tires, and the Ram 1500 Big Horn uses 18-inch aluminum wheels, while 20-inch wheels on the Express and Laramie leave less sidewall.

On I-10, the roughly 18-mile elevated crossing of the Atchafalaya Basin between Baton Rouge and Lafayette has limited exits and few places to stop. Fuel range counts: the Ram 1500 comes with a 26-gallon tank, with 33 gallons optional, while the four-door Wrangler holds 21.5 and the Gladiator 22.

The Mississippi River from Baton Rouge to New Orleans carries refineries, chemical plants and the contractors that serve them, and similar work follows the coast through Houma, Lafayette and Lake Charles. Fleets here want trucks that are easy to service and can be upfitted. The Ram Chassis Cab in 3500, 4500 and 5500 forms starts at $49,170 for the Tradesman and is rated for up to 12,370 pounds of payload on the 5500. The ProMaster cargo van, from $44,105, offers up to 524 cubic feet and tows up to 7,130 pounds, and its 3.6-liter V6 runs on regular fuel. The ProMaster EV is rated up to 164 miles, which suits short, fixed routes.

Crawfish, redfish and duck hunting mean mud ramps, gravel levee roads and brackish water. Four-wheel drive earns its keep on soft launches, where trailer wheels can sink, and the Ram 2500 can pull up to 17,740 pounds for larger rigs. Brackish water is hard on trailer wiring, brake lines and hitch hardware, so flush them with fresh water after each trip and replace corroded connectors instead of taping them.

After storms like Laura in 2020 and Ida in 2021, flood-damaged vehicles surface in the used market, often with titles that look clean. Check the VIN with NMVTIS, ask the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles whether the title carries a brand, and have a shop you trust, not the seller's, look the vehicle over before you pay.