Washington ? The sun began poking through the clouds Wednesday as California emergency crews shifted into cleanup mode after a six-day drenching that killed at least nine people, destroyed dozens of houses and flooded roads and airports.

The Transportation Department hurried to clear at least 20 major roads closed by mudslides and flooding, and in Malibu, crews prepared to destroy a boulder the size of a house that dangled precariously above the Pacific Coast Highway, held back by only a retaining wall. Crews also worked to fill thousands of potholes — some the size of cars.

Engineers fanned out across Los Angeles to assess whether houses on slipping soil were still habitable. More than 100 homes were temporarily uninhabitable or safe only for limited entry.

Los Angeles city fire spokesman Brian Humphrey said some ambulance crews had been diverted to work as reconnaissance teams to spot signs of flooding and mudslides.

Firefighters, meanwhile, were working 24-hour shifts with little time to eat or even use the rest room. On Monday, the heaviest day of rain, the department received nearly 2,000 calls — twice the normal amount, Humphrey said.

Rain fell early in the day Wednesday across part of Southern California but was expected to taper off as the storm’s center headed east along the California-Mexico border.

The storms began last Thursday, bringing 9.14 inches by Wednesday morning to a city where the average for an entire year is about 15 inches. Damage in Los Angeles County alone since Jan. 1 was estimated at $52.5 million, including up to $10 million in damage caused by the latest storm.