THE CALIFORNIA DELUGE : Beach City Woes
- Share via
Three of Southern California’s most popular coastal destinations--Malibu, Laguna Beach and Santa Barbara--were dealt blows by this week’s storms. On Wednesday, each went about taking stock.
Santa Barbara
Population: 193,416
Storm total: 15.55 inches
What happened Wednesday: Workers shoveled mud off streets and freeway ramps; residents sandbagged hillsides; link to Los Angeles via U.S. 101 opened.
Status: Large sections of town covered in mud. 94 displaced residents in shelters; Highway 154 closed.
***
Malibu
Population: 72,283
Storm total: 10.65 inches*
What Happened Wednesday: Bulldozers worked to clear Pacific Coast Highway; shopowners and workers cleaned mud from houses and streets.
Status: Pacific Coast Highway should have one lane open in each direction this morning. Topanga Canyon Road closed due to structural damage.
***
Laguna Beach
Population: 46,731
Storm total: 9 inches*
What happened Wednesday: Crews cleared mud off downtown streets and Pacific Coast Highway; workers used boulders to fill a 50 feet deep by 200-foot-wide sinkhole on Main Beach.
Status: State of emergency in force; portions of Laguna Canyon Road remain closed by flooding. Pacific Coast Highway open during rush hour only.
* Rainfall totals from Jan. 3 through Jan. 10
Sources: Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, U.S. Census, individual cities
Researched by APRIL JACKSON / Los Angeles Times
Sign up for The Wild
We’ll help you find the best places to hike, bike and run, as well as the perfect silent spots for meditation and yoga.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
