Pacific Coast Highway near Malibu opens Monday night after mudslide

MALIBU, Calif. (FOX 11) - A 13-mile stretch of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) near Malibu that had been closed due to debris flow caused by a weekend storm has now re-opened.

Caltrans confirmed on Twitter Monday evening that PCH was opened to traffic from south of Encinal Canyon Road in Malibu to Las Posas Road in Ventura County. Caltrans officials warned drivers of possible lane blockages as crews continue to clear slides and clean drains.

The weekend storm loosened hillsides where a major wildfire burned last year in and around Malibu.

The stretch of the scenic route northwest of Los Angeles was expected to remain closed in both directions from Las Posas Road in Ventura County to Encinal Canyon Road in Malibu while crews tow away stuck vehicles and clear lanes. No injuries were reported.

Crews had said it was possible cleanup could last until Tuesday.

The rapper Soulja Boy was among those whose cars were mired in the muck that was up to 4 feet deep in some areas.

The 28-year-old retweeted a photo of the mudslide and posted: "My car got stuck too almost went into the ocean," along with a prayer emoji.

An automated rain gauge in the western Santa Monica Mountains showed nearly three-quarters of an inch of rainfall in one hour, said the National Weather Service.

"These are heavy rates," the weather service tweeted.

Up to 1 ½ inches of rain fell in coastal and valley areas, while mountain communities got heavy snow.

Flash-flood watches and warnings were eventually lifted for areas burned by the fires that scorched more than 155 square miles of brush and timber acres in November, destroyed about 1,600 structures and claimed three lives.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.