On Tuesday, that coastal bluff experienced a major landslide in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. The catastrophe wiped out more than a dozen residential backyards and displaced hundreds of families with an immediate evacuation order. This wealthy enclave lies just over 25 miles south of Los Angeles. It has a long history of fighting challenges from landslide activity, due to its precarious perch atop an even older ancient landslide complex.
The landslide has ripped in half or torn apart sections of expansive homes. It is not even connected to the active movements of the nearby Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex just four miles (six km) south east. City officials reassured community members that this new event is unrelated to the Portuguese Bend area. That field has been a dynamic and disruptive space for many years now.
Aerial photographs of the destruction taken Saturday night revealed nightmarish scenes, like entire backyards crumbling into the ocean. These photos made it painfully clear that we’d reached an alarming tipping point. As of the last update on the landslide, the relocation effort has affected about 140 homes. With fears about structural integrity rising, families are heading for the doors.
Rancho Palos Verdes has an acute sensitivity to the impact of landslide activation. The reserve was first activated in 1956 as a result of road development. Slow-moving landslides have been a notable geographical feature of the region for decades. This winter’s torrential downpours have made things worse. A historic storm that impacted the region last year caused shifts of up to one foot per week, increasing fears among residents about the stability of their properties.
In their testimony, city officials stressed that their community had been under siege from increasingly dangerous landslide conditions for years. The recent event serves as a stark reminder of the geological risks faced by those living in this coastal enclave. Effective ongoing monitoring and proactive intervention strategies are key. Residents deserve our help as they work to address the difficulties of residing in a community affected by frequent landslides.