The National Weather Service, Bay Area, has issued a high wind and flash flood warning for Wednesday and Thursday, ahead of the approaching strong storm.
Heavy rainfall is expected throughout the Bay Area, especially in the North Bay. The volume of rainfall is expected to overwhelm waterways and roadway drainage systems, leading to flash flooding. Additionally, high winds from 20-40 MPH are expected, with gusts up to 40-60 MPH.
As you drive during these storms, please take the following notes into consideration:
– Freeways will often flood nearest to the roadway edges, especially on elevated roadways with walls on both sides. Avoid the outside lanes, especially at night.
– Never drive through standing water. You never know how deep the water is, and what may be lurking beneath the surface.
– The primary method of avoiding collisions during severe weather is to slow down. Slower speeds prevent hydroplaning, which often leads to crashes. Extra following distance will also help if someone crashes ahead.
– Whenever your windshield wipers are on, your headlights should be as well. Often, vehicles are not visible without head and taillights.
– Prepare your vehicle now. Replace windshield wipers if necessary, check your brakes and your fluids. The worst time to break down is during heavy weather. Towing services are usually overwhelmed with collisions, and response times are delayed.
If you experience an emergency on the freeway, call 9-1-1 from your mobile phone. Please be aware that CHP response times are often delayed due to the high volume of calls. If you experience a minor collision, please move out of the roadway as soon as possible to prevent secondary collisions and to keep our Bay Area roadways moving!
**Everything South City adds – if you have a power outage be sure to check the PGE outage map for updates which can be reached by CLICKING HERE
