State of Emergency for Rancho Palos Verdes landslides declared by Gov. Newsom

State of emergency in Rancho Palos Verdes

Rancho Palos Verdes say their homes are unlivable now that their power's been cut due to issues over land movement in the community. Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency, but residents say they still need help.

LOS ANGELES - Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency on Tuesday for the City of Rancho Palos Verdes due to accelerated land movement that poses an imminent threat to public safety, disrupted utility services, and prompted early evacuation warnings for some residents.

The city sits atop the Greater Portuguese Landslide Complex, where four out of five subslides have been active since their discovery in 1956. In the wake of severe storms in 2023 and 2024, this land movement has intensified, with recent measurements showing that the ground is sliding at an alarming rate of 9 to 12 inches per week.

This increased activity came to a head when a land shift on August 29, 2024, damaged utility lines, causing a brush fire on the Southern California Edison (SCE) Shoreline Circuit. Due to safety concerns, SCE has subsequently shut off power to portions of the circuit, affecting 140 residences and 53 businesses in the Portuguese Bend community and another 105 residences in the Seaview Community, with 20 of those households facing an indefinite power outage.

RPV residents frustrated over gas, power shutoffs

Hundreds of homes in Rancho Palos Verdes had their power cut off over Labor Day Weekend, due to growing concerns with land movement. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in the area.

The Governor's Office of Emergency Services said it has been working with the city and county for nearly a year. Efforts include technical assistance, support for a local assistance center, and coordination of a federal mitigation grant to manage groundwater issues in the area. However, city officials have been requesting state assistance since Feb. of this year. Just last month, city officials once again called on Newsom to declare a state of emergency, which was not done until Tuesday.

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Man gets emotional seeing RPV family home damaged

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With the state of emergency now in effect, all state agencies are directed to employ resources in support of emergency services and to comply with the guidance of the Office of Emergency Services in accordance with the State Emergency Plan. Residents in the affected areas are being asked to follow the direction of emergency officials.