Remote Classes and Modified Operations Tuesday on Pepperdine’s Malibu and Calabasas Campuses 

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Weather forecasters are predicting rainstorms for Southern California, which will bring rain to Los Angeles County over the next two days, beginning this evening. The storm is currently predicted to bring up to 1.5 inches of rain at the coast and in the valleys and 2-4 inches of rain in the mountains, with possible thunderstorms and short bursts of intense rainfall.

Because of the possibility of these bursts of intense rain, the National Weather Service has issued a flood watch, its lowest of four warning levels. This warning is for the surrounding burn scar areas for the local fires in the past year, with particular focus on the Palisades and Eaton fires in this area, but also including the Franklin and Kenneth fires. (A Flood Watch is issued when conditions are favorable for flooding and advises people to be prepared. It does not mean flooding will occur, but it is possible. More information on the National Weather Service’s flood warnings is available here.) Los Angeles County has put out an associated evacuation warning, meaning people should be aware of the rain event and be prepared to take action if needed at the direction of local authorities. Additionally, the University has prepared the Malibu campus for rainstorms and anticipates the campus will fare well in the storm.

Given the weather forecast, the fact this is the first storm the burn scars have faced in months, and Seaver College is already on Fall break, on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, the University will shift to remote classes and critical support staffing for the Malibu and Calabasas campuses. Critical support personnel (CSP) should communicate with their supervisors about whether they should report to campus or should work remotely. Classes and operations will go on as normally scheduled at the West LA and Irvine campuses. Any impacts to campus events, including athletics, guest speakers, and performances, will be communicated by event organizers.

Pepperdine officials continue to monitor the situation and are in communication with local agency officials. The Pepperdine community should expect normal University operations to resume on Wednesday and as scheduled, for the remainder of the week at all Southern California campuses. If conditions change impacting Pepperdine, further messaging will be issued.

Drivers should monitor road conditions, drive carefully, and allow for extra travel time as needed. Road conditions may change quickly. Greater Los Angeles road conditions can be viewed online at www.sigalert.com. As changes are announced to roads near the Malibu campus, updates will be made to the Road Conditions Hotline at 310.506.7623 (ROAD).