High tides wash across burned-out Billionaire's Beach lots Play

In the eastern part of Malibu, it became apparent that ocean water rushed right up to the highway during the worst part of the storm. The high tides have washed across the burned-out lots on Billionaire's Beach. There is evidence of high tide water reaching Pacific Coast Highway along the burned-out lots pretty much just to the west of the main fire station, Station 70.

On Sunday, there was one eastbound lane on PCH closed to traffic. We couldn't find out exactly why, but Tuesday we could get down there in person and we saw that the sand where houses used to be was wet with signs that high tides had clearly washed across them. This was on the lots west of the Carbon Beach traffic light, the westernmost fire area along Billionaire's Beach.

Just east of Malibu near the Getty Villa Museum, the ocean for some reason has not washed up to the sand cliff that holds up PCH near Coastline Drive. No additional erosion problems were visible to us down there Tuesday.

All in all, Pacific Coast Highway held up amazingly well as more than an inch and a half of rain fell on Malibu over three days. We saw virtually no rockfall on the Coast Highway here in Malibu and no ponding. The drains have been cleared by Caltrans and that has clearly worked to drain the highway.

We don't have any firsthand information about what the situation is down at Point Mugu at the giant sand dune. There have been waves smashing up against and landing on the highway up there, and we haven't had any word from Caltrans as to what the situation is.