Gov. Newsom declares state of emergency in Rancho Palos Verdes amid landslide

Gov. Gavin Newsom has proclaimed a state of emergency in Rancho Palos Verdes, where deepening landslide issues have spurred utilities to cut off electrical and gas service to dozens of homes. The proclamation is intended to speed state resources to assist in the response to the slides.

“Governor Gavin Newsom today proclaimed a state of emergency in the City of Rancho Palos Verdes,” the governor’s office said in a statement, “to protect public safety amid ongoing land movement that has resulted in disrupted utility services and evacuation warnings for impacted residents.”

The emergency order came after Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn and RPV officials had urged the governor to get engaged in the issue in recent weeks. Hahn, whose Fourth District includes the Palos Verdes Peninsula, said on Monday she was frustrated residents were not given time to prepare for the power shut off. The Supervisor was quick to praise Newsom and, in a Tuesday statement, thanked him for taking action.

“This declaration comes just at the right time as people are not only seeing their homes crumble around them, but have now also been cut off from power.,” Hahn said in the statement. “This situation is bigger than the City or even the County. I appreciate the state for recognizing the enormity of this crisis.”

Rancho Palos Verdes residents were dealt the latest blow on Labor Day, as more than 100 homes were added to the list of residences losing electricity, Southern California Edison officials announced on Monday amid the worsening land movement in the area.

By 7:21 p.m. Monday, power was shut down to 105 homes in the Seaview area, Edison officials announced. Most of those shutoffs will be temporary, lasting from 24 hours to a few weeks, the utility company said.

Earlier, amid enduring worries about worsening land movement in the area, Edison cut off power to 140 homes in the Portuguese Bend community and the city responded by posted an evacuation warning. That power shutdown, on Sunday, arrived weeks after gas service was cut off in that neighborhood.

SCE spokesperson Jim Hanggi called the scenario “dangerous” and “a fluid situation” on Monday. There is potential for more electricity customers to have their power shut off in future, he warned, as Edison continues to monitor the problem.

“SCE’s determination that another neighborhood needs to be partially de-energized speaks to the dynamic nature of this land movement and the challenges those neighborhoods, the city and our partner agencies and utilities are facing,” Mayor John Cruikshank said Monday. “At tomorrow night’s City Council meeting, we will consider taking actions to help our residents innovate and engineer solutions to preserve their homes.”

The City Council will discuss and potentially approve an emergency ordinance on Tuesday that would establish rules and design standards for both installing temporary housing on properties within the Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex, and for preserving existing structures.

The temporary solutions include placing mobile homes or other similar structures that don’t require foundations on properties with already existing, but unsafe, houses, according to the staff report for the council meeting.

As for preserving structures, the ordinance would create regulations for “placing homes on cargo structures and other leveling systems, such as I-beams, and installing alternative foundation systems to help maintain the integrity of the structure as the land shifts,” the staff report said.

The City Council will also weigh whether to extend its moratorium on new construction within the landslide area until Oct. 2, 2025; the current moratorium, which has already been extended once, is set to expire in October.

Cruikshank accentuated that the city can’t solve the deepening problem of land movement alone.

“State and federal assistant and engagement on this issue is more critical than ever,” Cruikshank added, “and reaffirm our call for help.”

On Monday, Cal OES spokesperson Amy Palmer said that office has been working with Los Angeles County officials for about a year, providing assistance and guidance on various issues.

“The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services remains in communication with the City, County, and FEMA on the dynamic situation in Rancho Palos Verdes,” Palmer said, “including the recent actions by local utilities, as we evaluate the appropriate next steps.”

That set the stage for Tuesday’s state emergency order.

“All agencies of the state government utilize and employ state personnel, equipment, and facilities for the performance of any and all activities consistent with the direction of the Office of Emergency Services and the State Emergency Plan,” the order says. “Also, all residents are to obey the direction of emergency officials with regard to this emergency in order to protect their safety.”

The steady, creeping landslide has rattled the area for many months. It has upended roadways, closed beloved hiking trails, shuttered the iconic Wayfarers Chapel and left a growing number of residents without gas or electricity.

Just last week, the Rancho Palos Verdes City Council extended a local emergency, spurred by the land movement that increased following the heavy rains that impacted the area starting in the spring of 2023.

On Monday, the number of homes losing power amid safety concerns grew.

“Last night, Southern California Edison (SCE) notified the city and 105 out of 270 Seaview homes that their electricity service will be discontinued for varying lengths of time,” RPV said in a Monday morning statement, “due to the risk of utility equipment igniting a wildfire and other hazards caused by downed wires or damaged equipment impacted by landslide movement.”

The power shutoff in Seaview, which began shortly after 7 p.m. Monday, were for the following properties and time frames

• 47 homes will be without power for 24 hours.
•  40 properties will be without power for 1 to 3 weeks.
• 20 properties will be without power indefinitely.

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.

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.

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