BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — As rain is moving into the Bakersfield area, California Highway Patrol is urging drivers to travel with caution.
CHP said even with just a few inches of rain can be “extremely dangerous” for risks of flooding which can sweep a vehicle away.
As a result, the agency is urging drivers to slow down and allow for more space between cars, to turn car headlights on when the wipers are in use and to never drive through flooded roadways.
CHP is also telling drivers to avoid travel, if possible, but if it cannot be avoided, to use caution and to use Caltrans’ Quickmap to check for road closures.
The agency’s warning comes as Bakersfield is in an active flood watch as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
The Service stated that the Bakersfield area — and much of Kern County — currently has a “marginal risk” for excessive rainfall that could cause flash flooding.
The flood watch, which NWS said will stay in effect through Thursday evening, is active throughout portions of Central California, ranging from Bakersfield, Buttonwillow, Lost Hills, Grapevine, Mojave Desert and the Indian Wells Valley.
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The Service said excessive runoff from the rain could result in the flooding of nearby rivers and streams, adding that flooding may occur on poor drainage areas and urban areas.
The flooding alerts and incoming rain to the region comes as experts have been predicting a “super” El Niño event that could bring historic precipitation to the region.
The potentially historic event could bring needed moisture to California this winter, improving reservoir levels, after years of drought across the state.
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