Rancho Palos Verdes urges Gov. Newsom to declare state of emergency over continuing landslides
As land continues to slide at an alarming rate in Rancho Palos Verdes, residents are hopeful that the state's government can come to their aid before it's too late.
Landslides have constantly plagued residents in recent months, with multiple homes even sliding off of their foundations as the earth underneath gives way. With another powerful storm closing in on Los Angeles, bringing even more rain to an already overly saturated area, their concerns continue to mount, hopeful that their home isn't next.
People living in the Seaview neighborhood have grown used to construction crews flooding their streets during wet weather, working to prevent additional houses from getting red-tagged after two were deemed unsafe following a destructive storm last week that caused more than 400 landslides throughout LA County.
Those are just the latest casualties in a series of landslides in the area, after multiple buildings were red-tagged in September of last year due to a landslide just over a month after the devastating slide in Rolling Hills Estates that destroyed a dozen homes.
Experts say that the land in the area has been slowly moving for years, but a significant increase in the speed of the land's movement is fueling their concerns.
"We're concerned," said Rancho Palos Verdes Mayor John Cruikshank. "The ground's already saturated. Every time it rains the homes move even more."
Neighbors know to report any cracks and slippage that they notice on their property so that it can be assessed by building and safety officials as soon as possible.
"It's a little scary," said Ron Komie, who rents a home in the neighborhood. "Nobody knows when things are gonna move."
As of now, the road where Duantless Drive meets Exultant Drive is closed due to several feet of land movement that caused the street to shift. The intersection littered with plastic and sand bags ahead of the storm's heaviest rain expected on Tuesday.
Just a mile away, on the other side of the Portuguese Peninsula an iconic Southern California wedding venue was forced to shut its doors for good due to the constant land movement.
Wayfarers Chapel, which has been around since the early-1950s, announced their sudden plans for closure late last week, canceling dozens of weddings that were being planned at the historic church.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn joined residents in their calls on California Governor Gavin Newsom to issue a state of emergency for the area.
"We need the Governor's help. It is my understanding that the City of Rancho Palos Verdes will be asking the Governor to declare a State of Emergency for the Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex," Hahn's statement said. "I think if the Governor came here and saw the buckling streets, the homes sinking and cracking apart, and the historic Wayfarers Chapel on the verge of collapsing, he would understand the urgency of this request. This is a crisis that is getting worse by the day, and I urge Governor Newsom to visit us and see it with his own eyes."
It's unclear exactly when city officials plan to officially request the State of Emergency.
