Landslide forces evacuations, sends homes into canyon in Southern California
A landslide in Southern California sent luxury homes on the state’s Palos Verdes Peninsula into a canyon after officials evacuated residents over the weekend.
The land movement began Saturday in the California city of Rolling Hill Estates when cracks began to form in the ground and physical structures. City officials said 12 homes were red-tagged and 16 residents were evacuated, noting in an update Monday that it remains an “active situation.”
The New York Times reported that residents in the gated community were given about 20 minutes to evacuate their million-dollar homes before a dozen of them collapsed over the weekend.
The LA County Fire Department said as of Monday night, 10 homes are still “actively moving” in Rolling Hills Estates, with an additional 16 homes being monitored by officials. Videos posted by the department show homes with collapsed roofs, cracked driveways and warped walls.
"The outpouring of support from our community has been amazing over these past few days. Not just from within Rolling Hills Estates, but from our neighboring cities and our elected officials at the County and State levels," Rolling Hills Estates Mayor Britt Huff said in a statement. "It has been truly inspiring to see how everyone is pulling together to offer assistance, especially to our displaced residents and their families."
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, landslides can be caused by various factors, including rainfall, changes in water levels, earthquakes and volcanic activity. Officials have not determined what the cause of this landslide is, but the Los Angeles region has seen record-high rainfall this past year as atmospheric rivers battered the area last winter.
Maps conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey show that the Rolling Hills Estates area has documented landslide activity in the past.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.