The sunshine returns after several days of steady rain prompted flooding concerns and one evacuation in Southern California.
Authorities are continuing to urge caution on area roads due to the saturated soil, increasing the possibility of mudslides.
As of Thursday morning, two southbound and one northbound lanes on the PCH between Latigo Canyon and Corral Canyon have reopened after rockslides, according to Caltrans.
Malibu Canyon Road remains closed in both directions at Piuma Road due to a large mudslide. California Highway Patrol officials said the road was expected to remain blocked for an undetermined amount of time. The issues forced Pepperdine University to cancel all in-person classes Wednesday at its Malibu campus.
SMMUSD schools in Malibu remained closed on Thursday.
Farther north, a large rock fell on Bouquet Canyon Road near Texas Canyon Road in Santa Clarita. Meanwhile, overnight rain led to flooding on the Glenn Anderson (105) Freeway in Lynwood near Alameda Street, leaving one car disabled.
A mudslide also closed a 12-mile stretch of SR-150 in both directions in Santa Paula as Caltrans crews work to cleanup the debris. Caltrans expects the removal of the mudslide to take weeks, not days, due to the volume of the slide and the damage it caused.
“The slide continues to slide onto the roadway; therefore, removing it from the bottom won’t achieve much since more will fall,” according to County of Ventura officials.
As of Wednesday morning, more than 5 inches of rain had fallen in the Bel Air area over the past five days, while 4 inches fell in Beverly Hills and more than 2 inches in Culver City. Nearly 5 inches fell in Porter Ranch, while 3 inches fell in Pasadena, and 2.6 inches were recorded in Newhall. More than 8 inches were recorded in parts of the Santa Monica Mountains.
“Rapid rises in small streams and urban roadway flooding is likely during periods of heavier rainfall. Debris flows, mudslides, landslides, and swift water rescues could happen just about anywhere within the flood watch area,” according to the National Weather Service.
Although the system didn’t pack the same punch as the area’s recent record-setting downpours, flood concerns heightened due to the soaked terrain, prompting Los Angeles city officials to put comprehensive measures in place to manage the effects of the winter storm.
City officials put a series of emergency response programs into action ahead of the brunt of the storm, including activation of search and rescue crews and the Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority’s Augmented Winter Shelter program to help people get off the streets during the dangerous weather.
“Over the past week, the City has worked to repair more than 4,000 potholes, reinforce hills that are at risk of mudslides and prevent power outages by making repairs to underground equipment and vaults that had flooded during the previous storm,” Mayor Karen Bass said Sunday on X.
