Officials in a Southern California city declared a local emergency Aug. 6 after gas service was permanently shut off last week for 135 homes that sit atop an ancient—but active—landslide, with residents now left to look for gas alternatives for their homes.
City leaders in Rancho Palos Verdes declared the emergency in response to the July 29 shut-off by SoCalGas in an area known as Portuguese Bend. It allows them to seek state and federal aid for the city and affected homeowners, a city spokesperson told The Epoch Times.
“Rancho Palos Verdes residents are facing an unprecedented situation without a playbook,” city leaders said in an Aug. 7 letter to California Gov. Gavin Newsom requesting the state also declare an emergency to trigger the financial aid.
The needed funds would help residents cover costs to temporarily live elsewhere if needed, and “meet other needs during this challenging time,” according to the city council’s Tuesday agenda.
The Portuguese Bend neighborhood, like all of Rancho Palos Verdes Peninsula—which encompasses Rancho Palos Verdes and Palos Verdes Estates—was built on top of an ancient landslide. It was reactivated in 1956 by Los Angeles County’s extension of Crenshaw Boulevard—which now runs from Inglewood through the area in a 15-mile or so stretch—and is one of the largest continuously active landslides in the United States, according to city officials.
The city first declared a local emergency in October 2023 due to the land movement, which has been renewed multiple times since. Tuesday’s vote again renewed that local emergency.
The movement has accelerated in recent years due to heavy rain. The city received 200 percent more rainfall during the 2022 winter than average, creating slippery ground conditions, with the land now moving 9 to 12 inches per week, according to city officials.
Those impacted were invited to the Ladera Linda Community Center Aug. 8 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. where representatives for Los Angeles County services, nonprofits, state agencies, and emergency preparedness resources will answer questions and offer solutions for alternative fuel and energy sources.
In the 2023–24 fiscal year, the city has, so far, spent more than $2.2 million in repairs and maintenance for the main road in the community of Palos Verdes Drive South due to land movement.
Affected residents may now also lose their power as land movement threatens to tumble electricity poles, which could spark fires, according to Southern California Edison (SCE).
An SCE spokesperson said as the ground moves, electricity poles can lean and cause tension or slack to power lines, which can be dangerous.
“We know this is a difficult time for this community, the safety of our employees, customers and communities remains our top priority,” spokesperson Reggie Kumar told The Epoch Times in a recent interview.
Crews will soon deploy sensors to help detect if the poles are moving, according to Kumar.
Collapsed homes are pictured sliding down a hill along a street in the Rolling Hills States neighborhood in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., on July 10, 2023. (Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images)
Most recently SCE crews worked overnight to perform utility work, which affected residences in the Portuguese Bend community and 50 homes on Dauntless and Admirable drives in another neighborhood called Seaview, which were without power from 10 p.m. Aug. 5 to 6 a.m. on Aug. 6, according to the city.
The city has asked and is continuing to seek information from SCE on specific criteria that could cause a permanent power shut-off or other remedies to keep electricity flowing.
Currently, the utility is regularly inspecting their electrical equipment in the area with helicopters, ground crews, drones, and all-terrain vehicles, Kumar, said.
While there are no imminent plans to shut off residents’ power, if the movement continues, it could be inevitable.
According to Kumar, all utility equipment is designed for stable ground, but because of the “dynamic situation,” customers should prepare for their power to be shut off.
Last year, two Rancho Palos Verdes homes were red-tagged in the spring, and several dirt trails and roads washed away due to the land movement, according to city officials.
The iconic Wayfarers Chapel, a popular local wedding venue known for its glass walls, was also permanently closed this year due to land movement and is in the process of being deconstructed, to preserve the chapel.
The Wayfarers Chapel in a landslide-prone area following its closure due to land movement after heavy rains in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., on Feb. 16, 2024. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
A cracked walkway outside the Wayfarers Chapel in a landslide-prone area following its closure due to land movement after heavy rains in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., on Feb. 16, 2024. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
Previously, SoCalGas said the decision to shut off service came after several months of closely monitoring the situation with the help of city officials and third-party experts.
During the process, workers relocated more than 600 feet of gas pipeline, added flexible pipeline joints to allow for some land movement, and installed an isolation valve to quickly shut off gas flow in case of an emergency, gas officials said July 30.
They also said some assistance is available for the affected homeowners, including a one-time payment of $2,500.
