Waves of rain hit Central Coast Christmas evening

FELTON, Calif. (KION) Residents across the Central Coast and in Santa Cruz County particularly got a bit of a drenching Friday night with a storm system dumping rain across the region.

With all the wet weather, the California Highway Patrol is reminding people to put those safe driving skills to good use. The rain was steadily pouring in Felton in the Santa Cruz mountains making for some slick roadways.

CHP says they are also out with extra patrols for Christmas as well.

"Remind ourselves that we do need to drive slower, we do need to increase our following distance and we do want to start thinking about what kind of condition is our car in… how are our tires, the windshield wipers working, do I have enough gas?" said Sam Courtney, a spokesperson for CHP Santa Cruz.

CHP says they always see a spike in accidents anytime it rains, especially along Highway 17 and in the mountain roadways. But authorities point out thousands of people drive through these areas safely every year during every rainstorm.

"That's because they're driving at a safe speed, they're slowing down, they're obeying the rules of the road," said Courtney. "Unfortunately, we do have tragedies, and a lot of times that involves impaired driving or distracted driving."

Another thing to watch out for during stormy weather: downed power lines. PG&E says you should stay away from any ones you see and assume they are energized and dangerous. You should call 911 immediately to report the location of the downed line.

And in case there is a power outage, you should have a flashlight and radio handy and plan for another alternative way to communicate with friends and family.

You can report any power outages at your home or neighborhood to PG&E and learn how long it will take for power to get restored. Just call their 24-hour power outage information center at 1-800-743-5002.