Updated: Heavy Rain Thursday Closes Schools, Causes Rockslides

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Trancas Creek's lagoon, around 8:15 a.m. Thursday morning, Nov. 29.

[5:05 p.m. 11/29] A boulder struck a vehicle on Malibu Canyon Road Thursday evening, according to the California Highway Patrol. The collision occurred at 5 p.m. just south of the tunnel. No injuries were reported.

At the same time, Caltrans crews were working to clear a flooded lane on Pacific Coast Highway between Trancas Canyon Road and Morning View Drive.


[4:04 p.m. 11/29] Evacuations were ordered for areas of the Malibu Park neighborhood following a mudslide on Thursday afternoon.

“Mudslide reported on Cuthbert Road from Horizon Drive to Busch Drive in Malibu Park area,” an alert from the City of Malibu read. “Residents in immediate area (approximately Busch Drive to Phillip Avenue) should evacuate immediately. Avoid the area. Sheriffs, Fire & Public Works on scene.”

Malibu Park was one of the areas hit hardest by the Woolsey Fire earlier in November. 


[3:56 p.m. 11/29] Westbound 1-10 (heading toward PCH/Malibu) was closed at the McClure Tunnel in Santa Monica Thursday afternoon, due to an overturned semi truck, according to Caltrans.

Heavy rain was beginning to affect western Malibu by 3:56 p.m., according to local reports.


[3:50 p.m. 11/29] Bands of rain continued to move across Malibu throughout the day Thursday, with no major road closures, mud- or rockslides as of 3:40 p.m. The National Weather Service reported a band of rain was moving across Ventura County and toward Malibu just before 4 p.m. Thursday.

California Highway Patrol reported 365 vehicle crashes occurred on LA County roads Thursday morning between 5-9 a.m., as rain made its way through the area.

Water moving through burn areas of the Woolsey Fire along Trancas Creek eventually pushed out to the ocean Thursday, according to KBUU News.

Photographs taken earlier in the morning, around 8:15 a.m., before the breach, showed “Trancas Creek’s lagoon at the ocean filled with frothy, black ash and water Friday. Rather than breaching, the goop caused a series of waterfalls to develop in the sand as the water backed up [at the far end of the creek, past PCH],” according to General Manager Hans Laetz. 

“Eventually, it gave way and the black water, logs and debris flushed out to sea,” Laetz wrote in an email to The Malibu Times. 


 [7:23 a.m. 11/29] Rain that began overnight from Wednesday, Nov. 28 into Thursday, Nov. 29, caused the closure of Webster Elementary School and Pepperdine University in Malibu, just days after the two reopened following the devastating Woolsey Fire.

Along with the closures, the City of Malibu reported rocks in lanes on Kanan Dume Road and Malibu Canyon Road, in an alert sent out at 6:58 a.m. Thursday. “Rocks in lanes on Kanan & Malibu [Canyon],” The alert said. “No current road closures. Beware dangerous road conditions, potential for flooding, mud and debris flows, and rocks in roads.”

By 7:20 a.m., the National Weather Service reported rain was beginning to move away from the Woolsey Fire burn area, but urged caution, as danger from mudslides continues after rain passes.