Update: Rain Causes Travel Issues, Malibu Canyon Closed in Both Directions

0
311
Sheriff's deputies monitor traffic at the intersection of PCH and Las Flores Friday afternoon, after traffic signals began to flash red.

[Update: 2:45 p.m.] Power was restored by Friday afternoon to the majority of customers without power in both Topanga and the Malibu Civic Center / Pepperdine area.

As of 2:45 p.m., according to the Southern California Edison outage map, 24 customers in Topanga and 10 in the Malibu Civic Center were without power.

Other hazards remained — Pacific Coast Highway was still experiencing significant slowdowns near Porto Marina (past Coastline Drive) due to downed power lines; Topanga Canyon Boulevard was closed due to flooding; the traffic signal at Las Flores Canyon Road and PCH was flashing red; Malibu Canyon Road remained closed — according to officials at the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station.


[Update: 1:28 p.m.] Pacific Coast Highway was reported closed in both directions at Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palisades due to downed power lines, according to the City of Malibu.


[Update: 1:19 p.m.] Topanga Canyon Boulevard was reported closed in both directions on Friday afternoon due to flooding, according to the City of Malibu.

As of 1:19 p.m. Friday, Malibu Canyon Road and Topanga Canyon Boulevard were both completely closed. Kanan Dume Road was open in both directions. Pacific Coast Highway was clear from Ventura to Malibu and had some closures and hazards between Santa Monica and Malibu.


[Update: 12:32 p.m.] Malibu was under a number of weather advisories Friday due to storms moving through the area.

The National Weather Service put the Malibu area under a flood advisory from just before 11 a.m. Friday until 4:45 p.m. Friday, citing moderate to heavy rain in the area.

“The heavier rain will cause widespread ponding of water on area roadways and local flooding of low lying areas and intersections as well as small streams and creeks,” the advisory read.

Malibu was also put under a wind advisory active through 6 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 21. 

Drivers were asked to exercise caution due to heavy gusts of wind (up to 40 mph in the mountains) and possible roadway flooding.


[Update: 12:13 p.m.] The traffic signal at Las Flores and PCH was flashing red on Friday afternoon, compounding traffic issues caused by rocks in the roadway just east of the intersection.

Sheriff’s report Pacific Coast Highway was down to one open lane of traffic in each direction a quarter mile east of Las Flores Canyon — near Moonshadows Restaurant — as of 12:13 p.m. Friday, due to a rockslide.


[Update: 12:02 p.m.:] Southern California Edison reported power out to 1,031 customers in the Topanga area as of 11:40 a.m. Friday. The cause of the outage was still under analysis as of 12 noon, but estimates claimed power would be restored by 5 p.m.

The City of Malibu reported Kanan Dume Road fully open after a partial closure Friday morning, following a small rockslide. Some small rocks remained in the roadway after noon Friday. Officials encourage drivers to proceed with caution.


[Update: 11:52 a.m.:] Power was reportedly restored to Pepperdine University’s campus after lights went on in several buildings a little before 11 a.m. Friday, according to university newspaper The Graphic.

As of 11:55 a.m., Southern California Edison’s outage map still described 324 customers without power in the area of Pepperdine University due to “equipment failure.” The outage map had last been updated at 11:36 a.m.


[Update: 11:46 a.m.:] Kanan Dume Road is down to one lane in each direction north of Via Acero, according to an alert issued by the City of Malibu.

The city also reported a rockslide on Pacific Coast Highway a quarter mile east of Las Flores, causing traffic delays. According to officials with the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station, the slide has created a temporary full closure of the roadway, with deputies en route as of 11:44 a.m. 

Malibu Canyon Road’s closure has been extended until the morning, according to Sgt. Del Rio with the LASD.

“It will be closed for the rest of today because of continued rockslides,” Del Rio told The Malibu Times. “It just doesn’t appear stable, so they’re just going to hold off [reopening] until tomorrow.”


[Update: 10:49 a.m.:] A solo spin-out collision was reported on Kanan Dume Road Friday at 10:46 a.m. A vehicle crashed into the guardrail but did not go over the side. No injuries reported.


Malibu Canyon Road was closed in both directions Friday morning due to rocks in the roadway caused by rain.

According to the California Highway Patrol, there was no indication when the road would reopen for vehicle traffic.

As of 10:45 a.m. the road was closed from Piuma Road in Agoura Hills to Francisco Ranch Road — HRL Laboratories — in Malibu. Closures have occurred on the roadway off and on all morning, since boulders were reported on the roadway at 8:05 a.m.

Severe weather conditions due to three consecutive rain storms moving through the area.