Heavy rains and the threat of mudslides in Southern California forced the closure of a key coastal highway near Malibu and prompted authorities to order evacuations of almost 3,000 residents from hillside areas scarred by recent wildfires.
The same Pacific storm also brought snow to the region’s high country, leading to the temporary closure of a stretch of Interstate 5 called the Grapevine, a major truck route that traverses a mountain pass north of Los Angeles.
The storm, which led the National Weather Service to issue flash-flood warnings for parts of Southern California, heightened concerns about the long-term risk of mudslides and debris flows around communities.