State of Emergency Issued With Landslides Ruining Rancho Palos Verdes

California governor Gavin Newsom has issued a state of emergency in Rancho Palos Verdes because of landslides.

Jun 27, 2024; Atlanta, GA, USA; California Governor Gavin Newsom making media rounds in the Spin Room at Georgia Tech’s McCamish Pavilion after the CNN Presidential Debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump held at CNN's studios in Atlanta. CNN Anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash are moderators of the debate. / Jack Gruber-USA TODAY

In the first days of September, the people of Rancho Palos Verdes in California were dealing with some serious issues because of landslides. They are not new to the area, but the rapidly growing landslide zone was leading to pipes bursting and people being evacuated from their homes with power being shut off.

Water and gas have been shut off in at least 245 homes because of the issues with the pipes. Downed powerlines also make the area hazardous to be in.

"The City has been navigating this crisis for almost two years, and the skyrocketing costs of responding to this emergency are taking a toll on our coffers," Rancho Palos Verdes City Manager Ara Mihranian said in a statement this week, via Bill Hutchinson of ABC News. “For months, we have been asking for public assistance from every level of government."

That aid is going to be on its way. California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a state of emergency on Tuesday in an effort to protect the public’s safety amid the worsening issue.

“The city is located on four out of five sub-slides that comprise the Greater Portuguese Landslide Complex. Land movement at part of the Complex has significantly accelerated following severe storms in 2023 and 2024,” as shared in the release from Newsom.

Issues with the land moving have been persisting for decades. As shared by ABC News, there are reports of landslides being dealt with all the way back in September of 1956, with the first report being shared on April 25, 1957.

Measures have been taken by the city since that time to make the area as safe as possible for its residents. But, by the 1980s, things weren’t improving as the land was reportedly moving about an inch per day, "140 homes had been destroyed or displaced" and "10 million tons of mud and rock have been deposited in the ocean along several miles of coastline." as shared by Hutchinson.

In the 1980s, homeowners were looking to save their residences by placing them on lifts and steel beams. 

"To maintain a habitable environment, these residents must perform maintenance frequently on the foundation of their homes," a report from the 1980s said. "It is necessary to level the foundation since the earth has been moving more than one inch per day. Foundations have to be specially constructed so that the structural integrity of the house can be maintained."

Those are the same precautions people are now taking to save their homes. Sallie Reeves, who is 81 years old, provided a tour for ABC News showing the damage her home has endured.

Expenses to fix the home are expected to be out of pocket. "This has been a hard pill to swallow," Reeves said.

In June of this year, a geologist survey came to the conclusion that parts of the landslide complex were moving 9-12 inches per week. That is a rate that the city has been unable to keep up with, leading to the current shutdowns.

A major reason for the recent damage has been unprecedented rainfall in 2022 and 2023. "The current rainfall total is 23.19 inches, approximately 170% of the season average over the past 67 years," according to the city report shared by ABC News.