Landslide leaves several homes in danger in Newport Beach
A landslide has displaced several families after earth gave way in Newport Beach late Friday morning.
The landslide is just the latest in a number of incidents that have come in the aftermath of a series of massive storms that have hit Southern California in the last week, leaving at least three homes in serious danger in the Dover Shores neighborhood.
Earth began to give way at around 10:45 a.m. Friday morning, with one home's entire backyard sliding down the hillside, leaving the structure teetering over the edge of the hillside.
"At this point, it doesn't appear to have affected the home itself" said Newport Beach spokesperson John Pope. "But our building inspectors have determined that at this point it's unsafe for occupancy out of an abundance of caution until we get some sampling o the soils and determine if there's been anymore erosion."
The residents of that home, which as been red-tagged by county officials, as well as both families on either side of the home have all been evacuated as a precaution.
While the occupant of the red-tagged home, an elderly woman, waits for geologists to assess the stability of the soil, she is being taken care of by her son.
"They felt it, it's probably would be the equivalent to an earthquake," said Newport Beach City Councilman Eric Weigand. "They're pretty shaken up."
One of the residents affected by the landslide apparently began to notice warning signs in recent days due to water runoff after the recent storms, Weigand said.
According to Newport Beach city officials, the slope is under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Fish and Wildlife, as it backs up to the bay.
No injuries have been reported.
