A state of emergency has been declared in the Californian city of Rancho Palos Verdes. Landslides have recently become more frequent, threatening homes. Authorities have advised residents to evacuate. Electricity is being cut off in the area to prevent fires.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in the Southern California city of Rancho Palos Verdes on Tuesday amid increasing landslides, a day after local power provider Southern California Edison cut off power to 105 homes in the Seaview areaOn September 1, 140 homes in the Portuguese Bend neighborhood lost power for the same reason.
City officials ordered residents to prepare to evacuate and seek alternative housing.
The city of Rancho Palos Verdes, located about 30 miles south of Los Angeles, has long been struggling with earth movement.
“The movement has accelerated significantly over the last 12 months, and in some areas the shift is increasing by as much as 25 centimeters per week,” city council member David Bradley told CNN. “You can see the ground moving,” he added.
Several hundred homes without electricity
On Aug. 29, a damaged power line sparked a brush fire that left the utility company declaring it unsafe to operate in the area. Of the 245 homes that lost power, 29 will remain without power indefinitely.
“The situation at Seaview that is preventing SCE from safely providing electric service to some customers is the same as the situation at Portuguese Bend,” SCE CEO George Mundorf said at an emergency city council meeting. “The earth movement is so severe that we cannot design a system that will safely service that area,” he added.
Reuters, tvnmeteo.pl, Los Angeles Times
Main image source: Reuters