Large Rockslide Buries Mountain Road In Malibu
MALIBU (CBSLA) – A roadway that runs through the Santa Monica Mountains in Malibu -- a portion of which was already closed due to a sinkhole -- is now buried under a rockslide.
The National Parks Service reported Sunday that several large boulders came tumbling down onto Yerba Buena Road.
At the time of the rockslide, a stretch of Yerba Buena was already closed from the Pacific Coast Highway due to a sinkhole which developed about two months ago, according to NPS.
The stretch of Yorba Linda at the sinkhole is expected to remain closed for at least another month, NPS said. The stretch near the rockslide will be closed through at least the end of the week.
Hikers use Yerba Buena Road to access several trails in the area, including Sandstone Peak, the Mishe Mokwa Trail, Circle X Trail and the Grotto Trail.
Over the weekend, Topanga Canyon Boulevard, one of the major Malibu thoroughfares, was shut down for emergency repairs. Topanga Canyon was damaged by several storms which rolled through the region following last November's devastating Woolsey Fire.
The fire-scorched hillsides in Malibu's canyon areas have little to no vegetation to slow debris flows or flooding, leaving them particularly vulnerable to mudslides.
The 97,000-acre Woolsey Fire broke out Nov. 8 south of Simi Valley. It then jumped the south side of the 101 Freeway near Calabasas and spread into Malibu. The fire destroyed more than 1,500 structures and was responsible for three deaths. It was not fully contained until Nov. 21.
