A destructive storm that pounded the region with sometimes-torrential rain has moved out of Southern California, but left behind mud-swamped streets, inundated vehicles and other damage that could take weeks to clear.
The rainstorms that began Wednesday and continued through Friday left record rainfall totals in downtown Los Angeles, with 2.8 inches breaking the record 2.71 inches for Feb. 13, set in 1954. Rainfall rates topping 1 inch per hour were reported in multiple areas Thursday, well over the rate that generally triggers mud and debris flows.
The roof of a Smart & Final store in Azusa collapsed during the storm Thursday. There were no reports of injuries to shoppers or employees at the store. A Los Angeles Fire Department SUV was pushed into the ocean by a fast-moving mudslide in the Malibu area, but the fire inspector inside managed to escape with only bumps and bruises.
The famed Duke’s restaurant in Malibu, which survived the Palisades Fire, was swamped with floodwater during Thursday’s storm. Extensive mudflows also buried much of Topanga Canyon Boulevard, which will likely take days or weeks to clear. Mud also swamped parts of Malibu Canyon and Pacific Coast Highway — roadways that were closed prior to the storm’s arrival.
On Saturday morning, Caltrans announced that PCH had reopened to a soft closure between Chautauqua Boulevard in Pacific Palisades and Carbon Beach Terrace in Malibu, with only emergency responders, contractors, utilities and those with passes permitted to enter due to continuing cleanup and heavy equipment. The road was open in one lane, with a 25 mph speed limit.
In the Hollywood Hills, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported a debris flow Thursday afternoon that parked 8 inches of mud on Mulholland Drive. No injuries were reported, but crews scrambled to ensure the safety of structures above and below the slide area.
In Altadena, multiple vehicles could be seen stuck in mud that inundated multiple streets.
Despite the damage, no significant injuries were reported.
All Malibu campuses in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District were closed Friday “due to road closures and weather concerns.” District officials closed schools Thursday because of the weather conditions. Pepperdine University was holding classes remotely Friday.
Evacuation warnings that were issued in areas near the Palisades, Eaton and Hurst fires expired Friday afternoon. Several hundreds individual homes were under mandatory evacuation orders on Thursday due to their particular proximity to flood-prone areas.
Cleanup efforts were underway beginning Friday as the powerful storm system pushed to the east and skies cleared.
Saturday’s highs were expected to be in the mid-60s from the beaches to downtown Los Angeles and most valley areas, and the 50s in the Antelope Valley, according to the National Weather Service.
Gusty northerly winds were expected across the mountains areas.