Rain Forecast for Malibu, Residents Asked to Prepare

With rain in the forecast for Saturday evening, Jan. 5, into Sunday, Jan. 7, the City of Malibu is urging its residents to “prepare for potential flooding, mudslides, power outages, dangerous road conditions and evacuations,” according to an alert from the city.

The National Weather Service has predicted rain to begin around 4 p.m. Saturday and last through Sunday morning, with total rainfall of .5 to 1.5 inches, with more rain expected at higher elevations.

The United States Geological Survey has provided a map for local residents to determine what risk there is for landslide in their area, with more danger in areas that recently burned in the Woolsey Fire. Previous rain this season has caused mud and debris flows in the Malibu Park neighborhood (on Cuthbert) and along Decker Canyon, according to reports from the time. 

For those located in high risk areas, the City of Malibu recommends that “due to the potential for outages in parts of Malibu, it is possible that residents may not receive emergency alerts. Please monitor storm conditions on local news radio, and if possible, the National Weather Service at weather.gov/lox. If heavy rain persists, do not wait for evacuation orders—leave early.” Other hazards, including malfunctioning stoplights, are likely during heavy rain events.

Empty sandbags and sand are available to local residents free of charge at fire stations 70, 71, 88 and 99, with pre-filled sandbags available at Zuma Beach Lifeguard Headquarters. 

Following the weekend’s predicted rainfall, “more rain is expected Tuesday through Thursday, Jan. 8 – 10,” according to the city.

The complete alert from the city, including more resources, is available here.

This weekend will also bring a high surf advisory to the area, according to the National Weather Service:

There is a high likelihood that a High Surf Advisory will be needed across the Central Coast from Saturday morning through Monday morning, and moderate confidence a high surf advisory may be needed for the Los Angeles and Ventura County beaches during that time. Breakers of up to 10 to 14 feet with max sets to 17 feet will be possible for the Central Coast, with surf of 7 feet or higher possible for west-facing beaches of Ventura and Los Angeles Counties.