Rain, rain, flood away.

While living in Houston Texas there was this horrible rain storm.  The storm was long and severe, the rain heavy.  It didn't take long for the rain to overwhelm the drainage system and begin to back up into the streets.  My parents became concerned as the water began to rise at a rapid rate.  My father put our family car up the driveway into the garage.  Dad had a van home from work.  It was one of the cars he used in his undercover work, it was a Volkswagon bus, white with a side panel doors, there were no seats in the back of the van.  Dad moved this vehicle further up the driveway behind our personal car. 
The rain continued to pour and the water continued to rise and before we knew it the water was literally lapping at the  front door of our house.  My other brought a broom to the door and swept the water out of the house as fast as it came in. 
I don't remember why but my father came up with the memory that Volkswagons actually float.  My dad decided to take the van for a "boat ride."  He attached a pipe to the tail pipe as this would be required to allow the car to "breathe."  After doing that he let me and a couple of others ride in the back as he drove down the street.  We went a good ways down the road and it actually worked.  We laughed and laughed at our success.  You have to know that VW vans did not have side windows at that time just all side door panels.  Since we couldn't all see out the front window we asked the fellow in the passenger seat to check to see where the water line was on the side of the van.  After being assured that the water level was below the sliding door we all made the decision to open the sliding door.  We did okay for a minute or so then a "wave" came and sent, what seemed, the smallest ripple of water into the van... and we promptly sank.  It was such a shock we all screamed although there was no possibility of anyone drowning.  When the tires his the pavement beneath us the engine cut out, never to be revived.  We had to walk/swim/wade back to our house laughing and being ribbed by anyone who saw us or knew what happened.  It was a fun experience while it lasted and the water took a long time to recede.  It was truly a flood.