Other than boulders falling onto Pacific Coast Highway and a few minor mudslides, Malibu escapes storm damage.
By Jonathan Friedman / Assistant Editor
Although various television camera crews were sent to the Malibu burn areas this weekend in anticipation of mudslides due to the heavy rain, they came away with no big news.
The fact that no major calamities occurred was a delight to Public Works Director Bob Brager, who credited good planning by the city and other government agencies for the damage control.
Malibu was hit with a little more than three inches of rain from Friday through Sunday, according to the Lifeguard Station Headquarters at Zuma Beach. The rain was periodic, but at times it was strong. Brager said the city’s public works officials were put on 24-hour notice during the rainstorm to quickly respond to any emergency. Working with the California Department of Transportation, the Fire Department, FEMA and the county, city officials attempted to minimize the potential damage.
In preparation for the storms, workers cleaned and cleared out the city’s storm drains and culverts, cleared city roadways of fallen rocks and tree debris and removed trees and vegetation on roads that had the potential to end up in the roadways during a rainstorm. Also, sand bags and K-railing were placed along roadways in the burn areas.
There were still some minor mudflows, but officials dealt with them by using blade-fronted trucks to move debris. Also, sandbags were able to channel the debris flows so they could be confined to certain areas. And when the rain stopped, the muddied sections were cleaned up.
“The good thing is we’re not being victims anymore,” Brager said. “We’re addressing these issues by doing pre-emptive moves so we don’t have bad situations afterward.”
Brager continued, “It was a little muddy, a little dirty, but it was safe to drive on all of Malibu’s roads.”
A portion of a westbound lane of Pacific Coast Highway near Big Rock had to be closed most of Sunday and some of Monday while Caltrans work crews cleaned up mud and debris that had fallen onto the highway. Also, Caltrans closed one westbound lane of the highway between LaHerran and Looschien roads to do emergency slope repair. The closure is expected to last until late February.
One driver who almost got hit by boulders on Pacific Coast Highway was City Councilmember Andy Stern. While driving westbound on the highway Sunday afternoon, not far from Corral Canyon, a collection of boulders tumbled down in front of his car. Stern slammed on his brakes, missing the boulders by approximately 10 feet, he said.
“Thank God I wasn’t talking on my cell phone or something like that,” Stern said.
Stern got out of his car and began to stop traffic on the road.
“I knew that I shouldn’t have stayed in the traffic, but there were many people who couldn’t see the boulders,” said Stern, who described some of the boulders as being the length of a bed.
Stern called City Manager Jim Thorsen and Public Works official Richard Calvin. Calvin quickly came to the scene to remove the boulders. Stern credited Calvin and the rest of the Public Works Department at Monday’s City Council meeting for their weekend efforts. He jokingly compared Calvin to Gen. George Patton for his leadership.
Brager said many homeowners were also taking proper precautions to prepare for possible mudflows with the use of sandbags. He advised people to pick up a free copy of Los Angeles County’s “Homeowners Guide to Flood, Debris and Erosion Control” at City Hall. The information can also be accessed online at www.dpw.lacounty.gov/wmd/HomeOwners/.
The best method for property protection during heavy rains is the placement of sandbags around the home. Free sandbags are available at local fire stations. The maximum allowed per household is 25.
The station locations are:
Fire Station 70 – 3970 Carbon Canyon Road, 310.317.1802
Fire Station 71 – 28722 Pacific Coast Highway, 310.457.2578
Fire Station 88 – 23720 Malibu Road, 310.456.2812
Fire Station 99 – 32550 Pacific Coast Highway, 310.457.3706