Local Emergency Declared Due To Accelerated Movement In Landslide Area

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA — The City of Rancho Palos Verdes declared a local emergency Wednesday due to accelerated and concerning land movement at the Portuguese Bend landslide complex.

At the Oct. 3 City Council meeting, councilmembers voted to take the proactive step of declaring a local emergency to bolster ongoing efforts and allow staff to request state and federal assistance to address the landslide activity.

In recent months, city officials have noticed significant movement in the ancient landslide complex in Rancho Palos Verdes that has caused significant roadway damage in the Seaview neighborhood and along Palos Verdes Drive South.

“This action strengthens the City’s access to resources to manage the land movement, especially
in light of the El Niño weather pattern forecasted for this winter, and our ability to obtain possible
mutual aid from county, state and federal partners,” said City Manager Ara Mihranian.

With the emergency declaration, the city activated its Emergency Operation Center at Level 3, which is the lowest grade of activation, so staff is ready to respond and remains in contact with government agencies. As of now, no evacuations have been ordered.

Though neighborhoods in the landslide complect have historically experienced movement, recent rainfall has caused the land to move significantly quicker with engineers saying they have seen essentially a year's worth of movement in just a few months.

So far, two homes have been red-tagged since early summer because they were too dangerous to live in due to movement. Since its reactivation in 1956, the ancient landslide complex has cost the city nearly $1 million annually in repairs.

Weather forecasters are predicting a very wet winter with El Niño on the horizon, and city officials have already begun planning ways to lessen the impact of rain and surface water at the Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex.

The Palos Verdes Peninsula has seen a huge amount of rainfall since the beginning of 2023, with a total of 20.9 inches of precipitation recorded at the end of March following heavy winter storms and Tropical Storm Hilary hitting in August. Mihranian said the rains have exacerbated the problem.

"For years, dating all the way back to the 70s, all the geologists have been saying we need to address the water," Mihranian said.

The Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex is one of the largest continuously active landslides in the country and is made up of three separate landslides near each other. The largest cause of land movement is the water, Mihranian said.

According to weather forecasters, El Niño is getting stronger with a 95 percent chance of the storm sticking around through the early months of 2024. Strong El Niño weather patterns are known to bring unusually wet winter seasons, which could spell danger for the ever-moving landslide area.

In addition to the emergency declaration, the council directed city staff to present a short-term remediation action plan within 60 days. Staff will also provide support to two property owner-governed geological hazard abatement districts in the area that help mitigate land movement at the Abalone Cove and Klondike landslide areas.

In addition to geological monitoring, the city regularly conducts street-level visual checks in the Seaview, Portuguese Bend Community Association and Portuguese Bend Beach Club neighborhoods to monitor any movement. Damage has been observed in homes near the red-tagged residences, but no additional properties have been red-tagged, according to the city.

Resident resources and answers to frequently asked questions are available on the city's dedicated webpage. Questions can be directed to landmovement@rpvca.gov and residents can sign up for email updates by subscribing to the land movement listserv.