Multimillion-dollar homes in the Southern California city of Rancho Palos Verdes are now under threat as a worsening landslide has prompted an evacuation warning for more than 100 homes in the oceanside community which is located just 30 miles south of Los Angeles.
Residents were advised to leave on Sunday after the Southern California Edison (SCE) utility company shut off power to 140 homes and warned that another 105 residents will lose electricity by Monday night, ABC News reported.
The landslide has been shifting for decades - by just an inch a year - however it recently began accelerating following heavy rains in spring of 2023, quickening to a movement of four feet a month. Over the past year, the landslide zone has grown by approximately 680 acres. The rain has saturated a deep layer of clay below the ground, and that clay - known as bentonite - has become slippery enough to accelerate the movement of the landslide.
"SCE has determined there is a public safety threat," SCE stated. "Electricity service will be discontinued in these zones effective Sunday, September 1 at 12 p.m. PST. DO NOT USE WATER OR PLUMBING AFTER THE POWER IS SHUT OFF -- THIS COULD RESULT IN A SEWER SPILL."
According to a separate report, gas had already been shut off more than a month ago to various residents who were have since been forced to shelter in their homes with electric hot plates and propane.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn said at a news conference on Sunday that the land movement is “so gigantic and so damaging” that “one city should not have to bear the burden alone”. The county has dedicated $5 million to respond to the disaster. Hahn also called on California Governor Gavin Newsom and hopes he will declare a state of emergency.
“There’s no playbook for an emergency like this one,” said Hahn.
City administrators have reached out to hotels for possible housing help, while the utility company has said it was working to figure out engineering solutions that could potentially allow for power to be restored. The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said it is continuing to coordinate with emergency response officials in the county.