Water and mud flows on the Pacific Coast Highway on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019.

(Caltrans)

At a Glance

The first of a trio of storm systems brought heavy rain to Southern California Thursday.Mandatory evacuations were ordered at the Holy Fire burn site.Voluntary evacuations were also issued for the Woolsey and Cranston burn areas.A JetBlue flight was forced to make an emergency landing at LAX after being struck by lightning.

Rain from the first of a trio of storms hammered Southern California Thursday, prompting evacuations in burn areas, sending mudflows onto the Pacific Coast Highway and forcing the closure of Zuma Beach in Malibu.

The storms prompted mandatory Thursday for parts of a 36-square-mile area in the Cleveland National Forest in Orange and Riverside counties left vulnerable to mudslides from the , which started Aug. 6, 2018, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Voluntary evacuations have also been issued at the site of the , which was sparked Nov. 8, 2018 near the Santa Susana Pass and burned 151 square miles, and the Cranston Fire site near Idyllwild, which began July 25, 2018 and scorched 20 square miles, the L.A. Times also said.

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Mudslides and flooding forced the in both directions between northern Broad Beach Road and Las Posas Road in Ventura County, according to to a Malibu City alert.

A JetBlue flight bound for John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City made an Thursday morning at Los Angeles International Airport after being struck by lightning shortly after takeoff, according to CBS Los Angeles. No injuries were reported.

This system could have rainfall rates heavy enough to raise the risk of some debris flows, particularly near recent burn areas, weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce said.

While the rains do bring a risk of mudslides and debris flows, they have also contributed to the end to a three-year drought in California. Former Gov. Jerry Brown officially declared an end to the drought but said water conservation efforts must continue, the Associated Press reported.

Thursday's storm is the first of three storm systems that will move into California through next Monday, Dolce added. The strongest storm will hit the state Friday and Saturday and will have heavier amounts of rain, strong winds and feet of Sierra snow.