More Power Shutoffs Expected as Landslides Continue in RPV Community

RANCHO PALOS VERDES (CNS) - An additional 105 residences will lose electricity Monday as Southern California Edison continues implementing safeguards amid worsening landslides that are threatening the Portuguese Bend community in Rancho Palos Verdes.

The latest shut off is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday and comes one day after residents in 140 homes lost their electricity and remain under an evacuation warning.

"SCE has seen a significant increase in the number of repairs needed to keep the power on safely, and we need to perform critical work," the utility told residents. "We are unable to effectively monitor the situation because of the land movement in the area."

Residents have been advised to be ready to evacuate on short notice, but most remain in their homes for now,  thanks to the presence of backup generators in the area.

Land movement in Rancho Palos Verdes began in 2023, but has accelerated across 680 acres following heavy rains last spring, causing damage to homes, roads and utilities.

"There is no playbook for an emergency like this one," County Supervisor Janice Hahn, who represents the area, said at a Sunday news conference. "... We're sparing no expense. ... This is bigger than Rancho Palos Verdes. This land movement is so gigantic and so damaging, that one city should not have to bear the burden alone."

Hahn repeated her call for Gov. Gavin Newsom to personally visit the area, and said she had committed another $5 million in county funds to respond to the disaster, though far more funds would be needed.

The city declared a local emergency earlier this summer, and is requesting an emergency declaration from the state.

Hahn said she reached out to Newsom's office on Saturday, and estimated that upward of $1 billion in government funding might eventually be needed to address the situation.

"I don't know if ignored is the right (characterization)," Hahn said. "It feels like to these residents that they are being, not ignored, but maybe not understanding the enormity of this land movement."

An emergency assistance center has opened at the Ladera Linda Community Center, 32201 Forrestal Drive, where a SCE Community Crew Vehicle will be located to offer support starting Tuesday. Residents can also call 800- 250-7339 Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m., and Saturdays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. for updated information.

City officials and those from other agencies have already been available to answer questions about the current emergency, hotels with discounted rates, pet and animal relocation, mental health support, emergency preparedness and other needs.

The affected areas for the power shutoff can be found at rpvca.gov/1707/Land-Movement-Updates. Officials said residents could also check to see whether they are in the evacuation area at protect.genasys.com/search or on the genasys Protect app.

Rancho Palos Verdes City Manager Ara Mihranian said Sunday that three generators were procured by residents and installed by city officials to power the area's sewer system.

Authorities stressed again Sunday that residents in the affected area should be ready to leave at a moment's notice.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said he authorized the use of drones to help guard against possible criminal activity targeting the homes of residents who might leave the area.

The utility announced the initial shutoff Saturday.

"SCE has determined there is a public safety threat. Electricity service will be discontinued in these zones effective Sunday, September 1 at 12 p.m. PST," officials announced Saturday. "DO NOT USE WATER OR PLUMBING AFTER THE POWER IS SHUT OFF -- THIS COULD RESULT IN A SEWER SPILL. All persons in these zones should prepare to evacuate and seek alternative housing. Pack important documents, medications, and essential items. Make arrangements for pets and animals," the statement continued.

Larry Chung, SCE's vice president for customer engagement, said Sunday that the utility made the "difficult decision" to disconnect the power due to the lack of solid ground, with the danger of disturbed power lines causing a wildfire being just one concern.

He added that some areas of the peninsula were seeing land movement of 1 foot per week, and other officials warned of the possibility of a "catastrophic failure" to the area's infrastructure.

The power interruption is the latest development in an ongoing crisis related to the land movement. The landslides have resulted in roadway damage and the red-tagging of two homes that were damaged severely enough to be dangerous to inhabit.

The land movement has also caused water and gas distribution pipes to break, displaced sanitary sewer collection pipes and made utility poles lean.

On July 29, despite protests from residents and city officials, Southern California Gas Co. cut off natural gas service to 135 homes in the Portuguese Bend community due to concerns about the land movement.

Residents spent the first weekend after the gas shutoff hustling to find propane and electric alternatives so they could stay in their homes. Officials did not order evacuations at that time because no gas leaks were detected.

Gas company officials said the area "continues to experience significant new land movement damaging roads, homes and further threatening the safety of SoCalGas' infrastructure."

The city had warned residents that SCE officials said they might discontinue electricity in the future if conditions warranted.

On Aug. 28, officials said that land movement the pervious weekend caused an approximately 10,000-gallon sewer spill on private property along Palos Verdes Drive South near Narcissa Drive. The Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, the agency that operates the main trunk sewers that transport wastewater out of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, responded to stop the spill and make an emergency repair.

"It is the city's understanding that this incident was the first significant break in LACSD's infrastructure due to ongoing land movement," according to a city statement. "We continue to work closely with LACSD to expedite permitting for repair work, as needed, as well as efforts to install an above-ground by-pass sewer pipe along Palos Verdes Drive South."

Officials added that the incident underscored "the urgent need to slow the land movement and prevent a major sewer failure, which would have a far-reaching impact across the Peninsula."

Although the current problem was prompted by the 2023 rains, Mihranian said the crisis is due to specific geological conditions he described  an "ancient landslide that goes back thousands of years," which was activated by more recent tunneling involving a section of Crenshaw Boulevard.