THE CALIFORNIA DELUGE : Beach City Woes
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.
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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.
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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
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