Current:Home > FinancePower outages could last weeks in affluent SoCal city plagued by landslides -MoneyBase
Power outages could last weeks in affluent SoCal city plagued by landslides
View
Date:2025-04-13 17:36:39
Power shutoffs on Wednesday continued to disrupt the lives of hundreds of residents in an affluent city in Southern California where landslides triggered evacuation warnings and led Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency.
The "severe land movement," which has been a persistent threat for decades in Rancho Palos Verdes, a coastal city about 30 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, led authorities to intentionally cut power to hundreds of households after a landslide collapsed a power line and caused a small brush fire last week.
Beginning on Sunday, officials conducted rounds of shutoffs starting with 140 residences in the Portuguese Bend neighborhood and 105 homes in the Seaview community. In a public statement, the city cited "the risk of utility equipment igniting a wildfire and other hazards caused by downed wires or damaged equipment impacted by landslide movement."
At least 20 properties "will be without power indefinitely," according to initial estimates from the city. Dozens of other residents are expected to have their power restored within one to three weeks, the city said.
The outages also impacted local infrastructure. In order to keep the sewage system operational in the Portuguese Bend neighborhood, local authorities installed several generators and asked residents to restrict their water use.
"Residents who choose to remain in their homes are asked to limit their use of water and plumbing, especially overnight when generators may be turned off for periods at a time," the city said in a statement. "Examples of ways to limit use include taking short 3-minute showers, avoiding unnecessary flushes, turning off the tap while doing dishes and running dishwashers and washing machines only with full loads."
Newsom declares state of emergency
On Tuesday, Newsom declared a state of emergency for the city, opening up state resources including emergency personnel and equipment. The declaration does not offer financial assistance to affected residents.
“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,” said Rancho Palos Verdes City Manager Ara Mihranian in a statement. “For months, we have been asking for public assistance from every level of government. Today’s announcement of a state of emergency declaration brings much needed financial assistance for the city to respond to recent power shutoffs that are upending our residents’ lives."
In a statement on Tuesday, the city called on Newsom and the California Office of Emergency Services to ask President Joe Biden to declare a federal disaster, which would lead to the deployment of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and offer "potentially individual assistance."
Landslides have posed a threat since the 1950s
In Rancho Palos Verdes, where multimillion-dollar homes sit atop bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, a complex of ongoing landslides has posed a threat since the 1950s, when three large landslides were identified in the area, according to records complied by the city for a public hearing on Tuesday. The issue led the city to issue moratoriums in the 1970s restricting the construction in areas where the land movement was most prevalent.
In the decades since, land movement has increased amid rising annual rainfall amounts and erosion along the peninsula's bluffs. Nearly 200% more rainfall fell during the 2022-23 rainy season than the historical average, a city staff report found.
In October, the city issued one of its latest moratoriums as well as a local state of emergency, writing the land "movement is unprecedented in terms of speed and size." Two of the three ancient landslides moved over 10 inches in one week.
"The accelerating, land movement has destroyed homes, impacted the Portuguese Bend Reserve,increased water main breaks and caused roadway and utility line distress," a letter from the California Department of Housing and Community Development said.
To address the issue, the city began a large-scale remediation project to stabilize the landslides. The three phase project, which is still far from completion, includes repairing existing fractures, improving surface drainage of storm water and installing a network of emergency dewatering wells. The project is anticipated to cost $33 million, according public city records.
veryGood! (25314)
Related
- Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
- Missing NC teen found concealed under Kentucky man's home through trap door hidden by rug: Police
- 23-year-old woman killed after deer smashes through car windshield in Mississippi
- In 2024, Shapiro faces calls for billions for schools, a presidential election and wary lawmakers
- Taylor Swift Eras Archive site launches on singer's 35th birthday. What is it?
- Why did some Apple Watch models get banned in the US? The controversy explained
- Live updates | Fighting rages in southern Gaza and fears grow the war may spread in the region
- Israel on alert for possible Hezbollah response after senior Hamas leader is killed in Beirut strike
- Megan Fox's ex Brian Austin Green tells Machine Gun Kelly to 'grow up'
- Nutramigen infant formula recalled due to potential bacteria contamination
Ranking
- Bill Belichick's salary at North Carolina: School releases football coach's contract details
- Trial of man charged with stabbing Salman Rushdie may be delayed until author’s memoir is published
- FBI investigates deadly New Year's Day crash in Rochester, NY. What we know
- Zvi Zamir, ex-Mossad chief who warned of impending 1973 Mideast war, dies at 98
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. qualifies for presidential ballot in Utah, the first state to grant him access
- These were some of the most potentially dangerous products recalled in 2023
- Ex-NBA G League player, former girlfriend to face charges together in woman’s killing in Vegas
Recommendation
Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
23-year-old woman killed after deer smashes through car windshield in Mississippi
These 15 Top-Rated Lip Oils Will Keep Your Lips Hydrated Through Winter
23-year-old woman killed after deer smashes through car windshield in Mississippi
Sonya Massey's father decries possible release of former deputy charged with her death
Naomi Osaka wins first elite tennis match in return from maternity leave
Are you there Greek gods? It's me, 'Percy Jackson'
To become the 'Maestro,' Bradley Cooper learned to live the music