In a Scenic California Town, Worsening Landslides Force Power Shut-Offs

Perched atop a majestic cliff, Rancho Palos Verdes is a stunning city by the sea. Those who live here do so for the grand views of the ocean, the lush valleys, the breeze that sweeps away the heat of the sun.

But the scene on this peninsula 30 miles south of Los Angeles comes with a caveat. Underneath the multimillion-dollar homes is a large complex of landslides. Every day, the ground moves.

In the past, that movement was so glacial — about an inch a year — it was accepted simply as a quirk of the region.

Now, for some residents, it has become catastrophic. Across a span of one square mile, the pace has quickened to nearly four feet a month.

Homes have been yanked apart at the seams, and some have collapsed altogether, their sunken roofs and splintered walls swallowed halfway into the earth. The gas was shut off more than a month ago to a swath of residents. They have since been hunkering down, relying on electric hot plates or propane, scrambling for answers before their life savings cave in around them, too.

Over the weekend, a distressing update arrived for a community there known as Portuguese Bend. The power was turned off to 140 homes, and the loss of electricity threatened sewer systems. Residents were told to be prepared to leave.