As torrential rain moved through Southern California Friday afternoon, a stretch of the northbound 101 Freeway had to be shut down north of Ventura after part of the roadway became inundated with several feet of mud, CHP said.
All northbound lanes are closed on the 101 at Highway 33 because of mud and debris flows near the La Conchita area, according to the Ventura Police Department.
The flooding began shortly after 1 p.m., and by 2:50 p.m., the northbound lanes around La Conchita were “impassable,” the California Highway Patrol’s incident log stated.
It was not immediately clear how long the closure would last, and the shut down remained in effect as of 6:30 p.m.
The heavily traveled portion of the 101 was shut down amid a flash flood warning for portions of Ventura County that was scheduled to be in effect between 1:16 p.m. and 4 p.m., according to a statement from the county.
Forecasters predicted between 2 and 5 inches of rain for coastal and valley area, and 4 to 8 inches in south-facing foothills and mountains, the statement said.
The same coastal stretch of the 101 was closed in January 2016 when southbound lanes become flooded with about 3-feet of water.
The affected area is not far from where the Solimar Fire burned through more than 1,200 acres in December 2015.