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New land movement reported in Rancho Palos Verdes
New land movement has been reported in the Rancho Palos Verdes area after recent winter storms.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. - Land movement in Rancho Palos Verdes is picking up speed again after months of slowing, contributing to homes and roads shifting inches each week in parts of Portuguese Bend.
City officials and engineers say the land is now moving roughly 2 inches per week — an increase from roughly 1.5 inches in recent months, though still far less than the 12 to 14 inches per week recorded about a year ago.
"We’re seeing movement increase again, and that’s directly tied to the rain we had over the holidays," said Ara Mihranian.
Mihranian said heavy rainfall over a short period allows water to seep into the ground, accelerating the landslide.
"That water percolates into the soil and helps speed up the land movement," he said.
The Portuguese Bend area of RPV has been under strain for decades, but conditions worsened dramatically in 2024, when some areas shifted more than a foot per week, causing severe damage to homes, roads and infrastructure.
"This house is now about 10 feet closer to the ocean," said Damien Hammond, vice president of development for Alpha Structural, describing the visible impacts of the shifting land.
Some homes have since been demolished. One property that held a house in 2024 is now an empty lot. In other areas, residents once used ropes to navigate unstable ground and reach their homes — some of which are now inaccessible.
The ongoing movement has left hundreds of residents without gas and electricity for more than a year.
"A lot of people have turned to propane and solar panels," Hammond said. "Many of these homes are now essentially off the grid."
City officials estimate about 400 homes have been impacted, with more than 20 red-tagged as unsafe to enter.
Despite the challenges, officials say there is cautious optimism that stabilization efforts could eventually reduce movement to historic levels.
"Stabilizing this landslide so we can get to a point where the rate of movement is what it historically has been — not a couple inches a week," Mihranian said. "If we get to that point, we’ve been told by Southern California Edison they’ll consider re-energizing the area."
For now, impacted residents continue to adapt — watching closely as the land beneath them keeps moving.