Rain Triggers Mudslides On Pacific Coast Highway

PACIFIC PALISADES, CA — Heavy rain Thursday night triggered mud and debris flows in areas that were devastated by the Palisades Fire.

Mudslides and debris covered parts of Pacific Coast Highway Friday morning. Caltrans and county workers installed k-rails and sandbags at the base of hillsides to help divert the mudslides from the highway. The mudslides started shortly after midnight.

Video aired by KTLA showed a mudslide blocking the northbound side of PCH at Big Rock Road in Malibu at around 3 a.m. Crews used a bulldozer to clear the debris.

Caltrans officials said crews were examining the damage, and it was unclear how long it would take to clear the road.

Debris flows also impacted Pacific Palisades: Water and mud flowed over k-rails along Palisades Drive, about a mile north of Sunset Boulevard, KTLA reported.

The rain is expected to taper off Friday morning.

While the first storm system that moved through the area earlier this week dropped less rain than originally predicted, the latest front "overperformed," according to the National Weather Service, with the Warm Springs area of Los Angeles County receiving roughly 3 inches of rain.

"It has been mostly a light to moderate beneficial rain, minus a heavier band that moved over the Southland last evening and again early (Friday) morning," according to the NWS. "Rainfall rates have been largely between a quarter- to a half-inch per hour, but a report of 0.60 inch per hour came in last evening west of the Palisades burn scar."

After reopening to some traffic on Monday, PCH was closed on Tuesday between Chautauqua Boulevard in Pacific Palisades to Carbon Beach Terrace in Malibu in anticipation of this week's rain.

Officials had expected to reopen the stretch later today. But it's unclear whether the debris flows will impact the reopening timeline.

Once the road does reopen, it's expected to be open only to residents and contractors with business in the area.

City News Service contributed to this report.