Some California Landslide Victims Regain Electric Service

A sign is posted amid an ongoing land movement crisis which has forced power shutoffs to homes, with California Gov. Gavin Newsom declaring a state of emergency in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., on Sept. 3, 2024. Mario Tama/Getty Images

More than two dozen customers who live in the fast-moving landslide area of Rancho Palos Verdes Peninsula will be reconnected to electricity starting Oct. 25, according to Southern California Edison (SCE).

“We do have crews restoring circuits today, as early as this afternoon,” SCE Spokeswoman Gabriela Ornelas told The Epoch Times.

The power company, citing safety issues caused by the land movement, disconnected service to 274 homes this year in the neighborhoods of Portuguese Bend Community Association, Seaview, Portuguese Bend Beach Club, and in the neighboring city of Rolling Hills.

Ornelas said crews started to re-energize circuits in the Rancho Palos Verdes and Rolling Hills neighborhoods early Friday morning.

Some homes were expected to be able to turn the power on right away, while other customers might have to work with SCE crews and undergo safety and inspection checks before power is restored, she said.

In all, power service should be available for 16 homes in the western region of Rancho Palos Verdes and 12 homes in the northern area of Rolling Hills, according to Rancho Palos Verdes Spokesman Peter Johnson.

“Our current assessment indicates these circuits are safe to have power restored,” Ornelas said.

“We will continue to monitor and evaluate additional power restoration wherever possible.”

The utility, which serves about 15 million people in Southern California, will continue to monitor the ground movement and evaluate whether more residents can be reconnected, according to Ornelas.

The company also said that conditions can change again with the coming winter.

“While customers are having their power restored, future conditions may require these to be disconnected again,” Ornelas said.

SCE and Rancho Palos Verdes officials have monitored the landslide area since movement began to accelerate in the peninsula region following heavy rains between 2022 and 2024.

According to Mayor John Cruikshank, the landslide area is about one mile wide and was moving about a foot a week this summer.

An aerial view shows damage from ongoing land movement in the area that has forced power shutoffs to homes and California Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., on Sept. 3, 2024. Mario Tama/Getty Images

However, the city’s efforts to remove groundwater from the region, combined with dry summer conditions, have significantly slowed ground movement, according to the latest update, issued Tuesday by Rancho Palos Verdes.

“Notably, no new movement was recorded in the Seaview and Portuguese Bend Beach Club neighborhoods during the latest round of GPS monitoring point surveying done earlier this month,” the city stated in the update.

In light of the new data, the city urged electric and gas utilities to provide a timeline for restoring service to residents as soon as possible.

Some homes in the landslide area have also lost gas service and internet connections.

Collapsed homes slide down a hill along a street in the Rolling Hills States neighborhood in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., on July 10, 2023. Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images

Southern California Gas Company (SoCal Gas) has disconnected gas service to 187 homes in the affected neighborhoods, while Cox Communications has ended internet service to 146, as of Sept. 16.

SoCal Gas does not yet plan to restore service to the area, according to a spokesman.

“Unfortunately, we do not know when it will be safe to restore service in these areas but will continue to evaluate our ability to serve impacted homes,” SoCal Gas Spokesman Brian Haas told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement. “SoCal Gas continues to coordinate our work with City leaders, public safety agencies and others responding to the ongoing land movement.”

He said the company will inform the community and contact customers when it is safe to restore gas service.