Flooding, crashes and distracted driving

Between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. Wednesday morning, the CHP responded to 12 calls for help and six crashes in Monterey County.

The rain eventually slowed down Wednesday, but calls for help didn’t. CHP officers say drivers still need to be careful after a rainstorm.

“When it stops raining, you get a false sense of security that it’s safe to speed up again, but the roadway is still wet,” CHP Officer Oscar Loza said.

Several drivers found out just how slick conditions were Wednesday, including one driver on 101 South in King City. The driver said he hit water and lost control. His car slid off the road and flipped. Thankfully, he’s ok, but he was rattled.

CHP officers say flooding is another danger.

Drivers on San Juan Grade Road had to navigate around standing water. Many took heed of the warning signs on Hartnell Road, where it looked more like a lake.

“You can be at the top of the crest in the road and see the other end, the crest on the other side, and you think it’s a flat road,” Loza said. “But in reality, it’s going to be a dip and the water could be 2-3-4 feet, so you may end up getting stuck in the middle of it.”

Something else you don’t want to get stuck int he middle of — mudslides.

“Mud is like cement. It’s very unforgiving,” Salinas Fire Department’s Ernesto Valdez said.

And as we continue this conveyor belt of rain, Salinas firefighters want to remind people this is mudslide country.

“I know that Carmel Valley has had some slides,” Valdez said. “I know Santa Cruz had a fair amount of slides. Those are really the major areas that have had them. Big Sur obviously, we all know Big Sur has them.”