Despite numerous reports, Tropical Storm Hilary didn’t carve a path of destruction through Southern California. Desert and mountain areas were hardest hit with flooding and mudslides, but for the most part, residents just got hit with a lot of rain. Enough that it knocked out services in some areas and flooded plenty of streets. But the worst was the flooding of the freeways. And as video from KTLA shows, the storm showed yet again that Southern Californians can’t drive in the rain.
Wild video captured by a bystander on the side of a northbound section I-5 shows multiple cars nearly losing control due to flooding on the road. Often when it rains — and I’m sure this happens elsewhere — rainwater tends to flood and collect near the center wall and spill into emergency lanes or the fast lane. This can be extremely dangerous, as some drivers seem to think that if they increase their speed they can plow through the water. But physics doesn’t work that way, and the almost deadly near-misses you see above can happen.
While it’s not clear if any injuries were reported, several cars can be seen pulling off to the side of the road after nearly losing it. One minivan looks like it actually clipped one of the others that was pulled to the side of the road. Another car looks as if it’s nearly going to plow into bystanders on the side of the road.
So my fellow Californians, if you’re reading this, rain isn’t a cue for you guys to drive faster. Slow down and live. This is more than enough evidence of just how easy it is to lose control in wet weather.