Power cut to 140 homes in coastal California community where landslides are worsening

[ificandream]

Source: NBC News

By Erik Ortiz

In a coastal Southern California city where multimillion-dollar estates teeter above the Pacific Ocean, power remained severed Monday to about 140 homes as worsening landslides have triggered evacuation warnings and a gas service shutoff.

Utility provider Southern California Edison said it cut electricity to homes in a section of Rancho Palos Verdes, about 25 miles south of Los Angeles, on Sunday afternoon out of safety concerns, forcing some residents in the city of 42,000 to scramble to find alternative housing.

"The land movement in the Portuguese Bend community has created such a dangerous situation that we have made the very difficult decision to disconnect power indefinitely to prevent that equipment from igniting wildfire," Larry Chung, Southern California Edison's vice president of customer engagement, said at a news conference.

A power line had fallen in the Portuguese Bend neighborhood last week, sparking a small fire. The power shutoff led city officials to prompt residents in affected areas to begin evacuation plans; an emergency assistance center was opened to help with charging cellphones, and relocation and mental health support.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/power-cut-140-homes-coastal-california-community-landslides-are-worsen-rcna169214

[FakeNoose]

1. There are some places where homes shouldn't be built

Why are they being built anyway? Mortgage banks and insurance companies have the means to stop this from happening. Also construction companies can refuse to build in certain dangerous locations. This craziness has to stop.

[Warpy]

2. People with a lot of money do a lot of magical thinking about it

They think it will shield them from everything unpleasant. Maybe some of the people with vacation palaces that fall into the Pacific will be shielded, there will be enough left of their lot to rebuild so they can stare at all that water from a cliff top.

CA needs to do what MA did. If a beachfront house is taken by storms or erosion, it is illegal to rebuild on that lot. People can collect their insurance money but they'll have to build someplace safer, since everything homeowners did in the way of seawalls, jetties, and even dredging to broaden the beaches only made erosion worse.

[C Moon]

3. South of this area, there is a place known as The Sunken City in San Pedro, California. About 5 miles south.

The Sunken City (as it is known now) was a housing development built in the 1920's. By 1929, several of the homes that were built on the weak hills overlooking the ocean, fell into the sea when the cliffs collapsed. Everyone had to move. Now all that's left there are a few sidewalks, some pipes, curbs, etc.

It's been closed-off to the public, but people slip under a hole in the fence, and hang out in the area. It's said to be stable now, though.

And 2 miles north of The Sunken City, is an area known as White Point. There was a major road that went from White Point through a neighborhood and to Point Fermin Lighthouse Park (where Sunken City is). About 10 years ago, a huge chunk of that road also fell into the ocean—the road was never reopened.

I wouldn't want to own property there. I think a lot of the cliffs are some kind of sandstone. Very unstable. And White Point at one time was a natural hot spring that people used to visit. An earthquake hit, and shut off the springs. So there's a lot going on in that area.

[FakeNoose]

7. Probably building on those cliffs made it happen sooner than expected

The cliffs were always going to collapse. But digging basements, laying underground pipes, or heavy bulldozing have to be making things worse for Mother Nature.

[C Moon]

8. I wouldn't be surprised if some company

wants to try it again.

[not fooled]

10. Advanced, new engineering will solve the problem!

Big money at stake = you're right. Too much lucre to not try something at some point. There will be majikal engineering advancements that make it feasible!

[Jk23]

4. I mean I was reading about this neighborhood in the early nineties.

I have a neighborhood in my neck of the woods that floods twice a year. Instead of bulldozing it and putting in a swamp, the Feds just cut six figure checks to the homeowners.

[hunter]

5. Used to be multi-million dollar homes. Now negative value homes...

... a mess to be cleaned up.

That's a problem that's sure to drag on for many years.

[Wonder Why]

6. "multimillion-dollar estates teeter above the Pacific Ocean". Just feel so bad for those that can afford multi-million

dollar estates, that I just cry. I hope FEMA is arranging well stocked with liquor limos to evacuate them and providing emergency gowns, tuxes and jewelry so they can look their best. It's good that they finally get something for all the taxes they never paid with the help of their lawyers and accountants.

[C Moon]

9. Many are already talking about suing the city or

county for not doing enough.
Seriously? What do they want magicians?

[maxsolomon]

12. In a litigious nation, completely expected.

The City approved the subdivision at some point - relying on analysis from Civil and Geotechnical Engineers.

[C Moon]

13. They're suing because they are saying they didn't do enough to stop the cliffs from falling.

[maxsolomon]

14. LOL.

If you look at that area on an Aerial view, you'll see it's sparsely developed compared to the area to the NE. I think the landslide risk was well known.

[C Moon]

15. From what I understand (from following it over the months)...

the hills are saturated with water, and that is what is causing them to move.
Some of the home owners are saying not enough was done to remove the water, or that it was done too late.

https://rpvca.gov/1031/Portuguese-Bend-Landslide

[maxsolomon]

11. Streets and lots likely developed prior to thorough Geotechnical analysis

Or there was a belief that it could be mitigated.

Hope the homeowner have insurance - those homes are F'd.