Road closures and evacuation warnings and orders were in effect in the Malibu area Thursday as a strong winter storm brought hours of rainfall to the fire-scarred Los Angeles County coast.

A high surf advisory was issued for coastal areas across Southern California, according to the National Weather Service.

Closure downgraded: Late last month, county public health officials had fully closed 9 miles of beaches between Malibu’s Las Flores State Beach and the Santa Monica Pier due to runoff from the ...