Months of no rain have created extra slippery roadways across San Joaquin County — a perfect recipe for spinouts and crashes.
“With all of the dirt and gravel and oils and different spillage that we have on the roadways, when we get that first rain, it all kind of comes up to the surface and makes the roadway real slippery,” California Highway Patrol (CHP) spokesperson Ruben Jones explained.
While crashes are common, flooding is not. The water is going right into the ground or straight into the dry levees, all thanks to the lack of rain since December.
“Ditches are full,” commuter Jesse Gedney shared. “Bunch of vehicles all on the side. It’s not crazy, but there’s a lot of lot of stuff going on.”
“Flooding has been good,” Commuter Andres Carrillo added. “Overall, the highway has been good.”
The CHP says many of the crashes they’ve responded to this week have been avoidable.
“They’re driving in a torrential downpour in February as if it’s a sunny day in August,” Officer Jones continued. “It’s two different conditions and you have to drive accordingly. We tell people, ‘Drive like it’s raining.'”
The CHP is asking drivers to check the tread on their tires, headlights, windshield wipers and fill their tank of gas before heading out on the road.
Overall, they say the best advice they can give drivers during any storm is to slow down.
San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services said the county is not included in the Winter Storm Warning or Wind Advisory, so they are not expecting resource needs to exceed local response.
contributed to this report.
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