The state of Los Angeles faces the problem of roadways hammering as it gets prone to problems like mudslides and gets hit with debris flow. Following an atmospheric river that caused damage to the fire-ravaged area, roads in Southern California were still closed on Friday due to evacuations and closures.
Flash floods and multiple mudslides were reported on Thursday night. What happened? The Pacific Coast Highway near Pacific Palisades and Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood Hills were among the major roads in Los Angeles that were covered in mud and debris.
Evacuation warnings and orders were given in multiple counties, with most incidents taking place in Los Angeles, where the most severe wildfires occurred last month.
Although the National Weather Service lifted all weather advisories in the region on Thursday night, authorities cautioned that mud and rockslides may still happen even after rainfall has dried up. The record for rainfall in 2000 was set at 1.08 inches.
On Friday, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District will not close all public schools in Malibu as a result of road closures, ongoing mud flow concerns, and cleaning-up efforts following last week’s storm. Additionally, many schools within its 15-mile radius of the area were closed on Thursday due to heavy wind gusts that knocked down power lines, leaving thousands in the dark early Friday morning.
PowerOutage.us reports that more than 21,000 homes and businesses in Southern California are still experiencing power outages at 5 a.m. local time. More than 12,600 utility customers in Los Angeles were left without power, with the highest number of outages reported.
Prior to the storm and after the worst conditions receded, hundreds of personnel were positioned to assist with emergency response and recovery operations.
Los Angeles County Public Works and the California Department of Public Transportation reported that they have started cleaning up roads that have been covered by mudslides. The community was urged to stay away from flooded areas as authorities worked to clear debris and reconstruct several major roads.
Ongoing Risks From Burn Scars
The risk of mudslides is particularly acute in areas where vegetation has been stripped away by wildfires. According to experts, burnt soil can repel water and significantly increase runoff rates, leading to faster and more dangerous debris flows.
This phenomenon was evident during this week’s storm; areas such as Altadena and Pacific Palisades—both affected by recent fires—were identified as high-risk zones for landslides.