Further Power Outages Planned for Rancho Palos Verdes Amid Landslide Emergency
Rancho Palos Verdes will experience additional power outages starting Monday evening as Southern California Edison (SCE) expands its safety measures in response to ongoing landslide damage.
This follows a power shutoff that affected 140 homes in the area on Sunday.
The new outages will impact 105 homes in the Seaview neighborhood. According to SCE spokesperson Reggie Kumar, 47 homes will face temporary shutoffs lasting 24 hours, while 38 homes will be without power for one to three weeks as repair work is conducted. Approximately 20 homes in the most severely affected areas will experience an indefinite outage.
The power shutoffs are necessitated by land movement that has damaged electrical infrastructure, posing a risk to public safety. The accelerated land shifts have led to significant damage to homes, roads, and utilities.
The neighborhood of Portuguese Bend, which comprises the 140 houses that were initially impacted, was placed under evacuation notice earlier on Sunday. In order to lessen the impact of the outage and avoid an immediate evacuation, backup generators have been deployed.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, addressing the situation at a press conference, emphasized the unprecedented nature of the emergency.
“There is no playbook for an emergency like this one,” Hahn said.
She announced an additional $5 million in county funds to address the crisis and called on Governor Gavin Newsom for further state assistance. Hahn also urged for a personal visit from Newsom to assess the situation firsthand.
Since they started in the spring of 2023 after a lot of rain, the landslides have caused significant disruptions, breaking gas and water pipes and damaging utility poles. Similar concerns led Southern California Gas Co. to turn off natural gas to 135 Portuguese Bend homes in July.
In order to prevent potential sewer spills, residents have been advised to pack essential items, prepare for a possible evacuation, and refrain from using water or plumbing. As an emergency aid hub, the Ladera Linda Community Center provides details on evacuation plans, substitute housing options, and other support services.
To stop possible criminal activity in areas that have been evacuated, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna has authorized the use of drones and increased patrols. The Los Angeles County Fire Department has brought attention to how serious the situation is, pointing out that the rate at which the land is moving is 88 times faster than it was in October 2022.
City and county officials continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates to residents as necessary. For information on the power shutoffs and evacuation zones, residents are encouraged to check the city’s website or use the Genasys Protect app.
ABC7, CBS News and NBC4 Los Angeles contributed to this.
