Latest Pacific Ocean storm pounds Southern California with rain
LOS ANGELES (FOX 11) - --UPDATE--
Evacuation orders have been lifted for the Woolsey Fire burn area, announced the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Authorities urge residents returning to evacuated areas to continue being alert because the potential for falling rocks, mud and debris flow still exists.
Many canyon and local roads will be slippery and all drivers are advised to drive slowly and cautiously. Do not attempt to cross flooded areas and never enter moving water.
Road closures at Malibu Canyon Road and Topanga Canyon Road will remain in place until Los Angeles County Public Works and CalTrans can ensure the stability of the hillsides.
For the latest information regarding road closures please visit the following websites:
All future information pertaining to safety considerations will be updated at www.lacounty.gov/LARain.
The latest in a series of Pacific Ocean storms pounded California with rain and snow Thursday, prompting officials to put communities on alert for mudslides and flooding and making travel treacherous.
Runoff flowed from the San Francisco Bay Area to the Sierra Nevada foothills and from Central Coast counties to Los Angeles and the inland region to the east.
Blizzard conditions blanketed the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada with snow while high surf rolled ashore along the coast.
Concern was high in communities near burn scars of recent wildfires.
The Santa Barbara County community of Montecito that was devastated by a deadly debris flow a year ago received 1.5 inches of rain in 24 hours, but had so far avoided a repeat of the disaster.
Areas under evacuation orders included parts of fire-scarred Malibu, where all public schools were closed. Several vital canyon roads in the area were closed due rock fall danger.
Fog on a mountain highway also triggered a 19-vehicle crash. Thirty-five people were evaluated for injuries after the pileup on Interstate 15 in Cajon Pass, but most declined to be taken to hospitals, the San Bernardino County Fire Department said.
In areas recently scarred by wildfires, authorities feared small rivers and creeks would flood their banks and cause massive mudslides, further damaging communities struggling to recover from a historically bad fire season.
The blazes stripped hillsides of trees and other vegetation that stabilize soil and prevent mudslides, putting at risk thousands of people living in foothill and canyon areas devastated by wildfires.
The hillsides were holding but people in burn areas were urged to remain alert.
In Malibu, a boulder crashed into a car, injuring the driver.
Click here for a list of current evacuation orders in Los Angeles County.
Click here for a list of current evacuation orders in Ventura County.
Click here for a list of current evacuation orders in Orange County.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.