State of emergency declared as large slow-moving
landslide reshapes Rancho Palos Verdes landscape,
California
Written by
Rishav Kothari
Wednesday, September 4, 2024
California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of
emergency in Rancho Palos Verdes on September 3, 2024,
where a massive slow-moving landslide created a big
crisis and forced widespread power outages.
The landslide, part of the Greater Portuguese Landslide
Complex first identified in 1956, has been exacerbated
by intense storm activity in the last 2 years, putting
the community at significant risk.
The landslide complex is now sliding at an alarming rate
of 229 – 305 mm (9 – 12 inches) per week, significantly
faster than its historical average of several inches per
year.
California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of
emergency on September 3, in Rancho Palos Verdes
following a slow-moving landslide that forced power
shutoffs for hundreds of homes and businesses. The
landslide, part of the Greater Portuguese Landslide
Complex, first discovered in 1956, has been accelerating
due to intense storm activity over the past two years.
The increased movement caused a utility line to start a
small brush fire on the Southern California Edison (SCE)
Shoreline Circuit on August 29, according to the state
of emergency declaration.
In response, SCE shut off power to 140 homes in the
Portuguese Bend Community Association neighborhood on
September 1, extending the outages to another 105 homes
in the Seaview neighborhood on September 2.
City officials stated that while 47 homes in Seaview
would regain power by the evening of September 3, 38
properties would remain without power for 1 – 3 weeks,
and 20 homes would be without power indefinitely.
The landslide complex is now sliding at an alarming rate
of 229 – 305 mm (9 – 12 inches) per week, significantly
faster than its historical average of several inches per
year.
This sudden acceleration has overwhelmed local
government and utility companies, who were unprepared
for the impact of such rapid movement. Newsom’s
emergency proclamation aims to allocate more state
resources to address the crisis. City officials in
Rancho Palos Verdes have been in close contact with the
Governor’s Office of Emergency Services for nearly a
year to manage the ongoing land movement.
The state has provided technical assistance, supported
local efforts, and helped secure a federal mitigation
grant for groundwater work in the area. However, local
officials, including Los Angeles County Supervisor
Janice Hahn, have called for more state assistance. Hahn
stated during a news conference on September 1 that an
estimated $1 billion in government funding might be
needed to fully address the situation.
The power outages come as Southern California braces for
an intense heat wave later this week. Although the
coastal location of Rancho Palos Verdes will keep
temperatures somewhat cooler, highs are still expected
to reach 29 – 32 °C (mid-upper 80s °F) on August 5 and
6. The lack of air conditioning could exacerbate the
situation for affected residents.
The ongoing landslide has caused significant damage to
infrastructure. Two homes have been red-tagged as
uninhabitable, and the land movement has led to breaks
in water and gas distribution pipes, displaced sanitary
sewer collection pipes, and leaning utility poles.
Southern California Gas Co. cut off natural gas service
to 135 homes in the Portuguese Bend community on July 29
due to safety concerns related to land movement.
Although no gas leaks were detected, residents had to
find alternative heating sources.
City Manager Ara Mihranian said that residents had
procured three generators to power the area’s sewer
system, which were installed by city officials. The Los
Angeles County Sanitation Districts have been working to
repair the damage, including a 37 854 liters (10 000
gallons) sewer spill that occurred on private property
along Palos Verdes Drive South near Narcissa Drive.
Larry Chung, SCE’s vice president for customer
engagement, said that the decision to cut power was
difficult but necessary to prevent wildfires and other
dangers posed by unstable power lines.
The Rancho Palos Verdes City Council held a special
meeting in the afternoon of September 3 to discuss the
amended state of emergency and the ongoing response to
the power outages. The council is also considering a
vote to formally request Governor Newsom’s visit to the
area and additional state assistance.
“This is much bigger than the city itself, and without
help from our partners at the county, state, and federal
level, we can’t come up with real solutions to slow the
land movement,” said City Councilmember Dave Bradley.
The state had issued an evacuation warning on September
1, urging citizens be prepared to evacuate at short
notice.
References:
1 Ongoing landslide near Los Angeles causes weeks-long
power shutoffs as heat wave sizzles region – Fox Weather
– September 3, 2024
2 Newsom declares state of emergency in Rancho Palos
Verdes following series of power shutoff – ABC 7 –
September 4, 2024
3 Worsening landslide forces power cut to 105 more homes
in Rancho Palos Verdes – Los Angeles Times – September
Featured image credit: CBS (stillshot)
Share:
|
|