“Postpone travel unless absolutely necessary,” CHP warns drivers

As Hurricane Hillary is comingthe California Highway Patrol warns drivers to avoid I-5 through the Grapevine and “postpone travel unless absolutely necessary.”

The CHP’s Fort Tejon Division is preparing for potentially hazardous conditions at the mountain pass Sunday and into Monday. Flooding and mudslides are of particular concern, especially since the Grapevine bears burn scars from recent wildfires. With little vegetation to support the hillside, rain can slide very quickly down the burn scars, causing mudslides that wash away the road.

“If things start to move, we will be in a position to shut everything down quickly,” CHP spokesman DC Williams told KGET.

If driving is absolutely necessary, CHP asks motorists to check their tires and windshield wipers, fill their tank, and keep a first aid kit with water and food in their vehicle. While driving, be sure to slow down and never drive through a flooded area. You can check road closures at Caltrans website.

“Please stay safe and do not take unnecessary risks during this storm,” the CHP’s Fort Tejon division wrote on Facebook.

No tropical storms have made landfall in Southern California. since September 25, 1939, according to the National Weather Service. The guard was posted over a wide swath of southern California, from the coast to the mountains and inland deserts. The US National Hurricane Center warned of possible threats to life and property.

It is increasingly likely that Hilary will reach California on Monday morning while it is still at tropical storm strength, although widespread rain is expected. start as early as Saturdaysaid the San Diego office of the National Weather Service. Hurricane officials said the storm could bring heavy rain to the southwestern United States, dumping 3 to 6 inches in some places, with isolated amounts of up to 10 inches, in parts of southern California and southern Nevada.

“Two to three inches of rain in Southern California is unheard of” for this time of year, said Kristen Corbosiero, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Albany who specializes in Pacific hurricanes. “That’s a total amount of summer and fall rain that arrives in probably six to 12 hours.”

Associated Press contributed to this report.