Erin Stone
covers climate and environmental issues in Southern California.
Published July 30, 2025 1:50 PM
A tsunami advisory may have been lifted for Southern California, but each disaster reminds us it’s always best to be prepared.
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Mario Tama
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Getty Images
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Topline:
Tsunami waves arriving on Southern California coasts this morning were mild, after a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck eastern Russia on Tuesday and set off alerts around the Pacific. Still, if and when it does happen here, potentially right off our coast, it’s likely we’ll have less than an hour to evacuate.
Get prepared: Now is the time to get ready for the next tsunami warning, as well as our more common and likely disasters, such as fires and earthquakes. The good thing is, when you prepare for one, you’re a lot more prepared for any disaster.
Read on ... for more tips on planning for when disaster strikes.
Thankfully, we avoided the worst of the year’s latest fusillade: Tsunami waves arriving on Southern California coasts Wednesday morning were mild after a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck eastern Russia on Tuesday and set off alerts around the Pacific Ocean.
Still, if and when it does happen here, potentially right off our coast, it’s likely we’ll have less than an hour to evacuate.
“People have to kind of keep in mind if they live near the coast that this is a hazard they're probably going to face maybe once or twice in their lifetime and when they happen, they have to take the right actions right away,” said Chip McCreery, director of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu on LAist’s AirTalk.
But each disaster reminds us — it’s always best to be prepared.
Now is the time to get ready for the next tsunami warning, as well as our more common and likely disasters, such as fires and earthquakes.
First off, confirm you’re signed up for emergency alerts in your area — and make sure alerts are enabled on your smartphone if you have one. Always pay attention to local weather forecasts, which are actually quite accurate these days and supported by robust science. And of course, know your trusted local news organizations who will be hard at work bringing you accurate information to keep you safe.
More alerts is generally better — “redundancy” as they say in emergency planning. And when it comes to tsunamis, tsunami.gov is the place to be to check in on all the latest updates and alerts.
Make sure you understand what different alerts mean, so you can prepare accordingly.
Southern California was first under a tsunami watch Tuesday evening. That was later upped to an advisory.
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Know the risk in your area
The state’s office of emergency services has a handy tool to check all the hazards in your specific area — including earthquakes, fires, floods and tsunamis. The service is called “MyHazard.” Plug in your address, and it provides detailed information on the potential disasters in your neighborhood.
Be aware that even if you aren’t in the zones in these maps, disasters can go beyond these borders. It’s always good to have an understanding of the infrastructure in your particular neighborhood so you can make informed decisions when — and if — alerts go out.
Know your evacuation route
Many cities in tsunami-risk areas have planned evacuation routes. Generally, it’s a good rule of thumb to know how to get at least 100 feet above sea level quickly. Know a specific place to go and how exactly you’ll get there. Try to practice your route so you know it in the case of darkness or bad weather.
And talk to your neighbors. If you need assistance evacuating, try to ask ahead of time. And be sure to check on your neighbors who may need help. Emergency lines and first responders are often overwhelmed during disasters.
Keep a go-bag handy
Make sure you have a go-bag with essential medications, documents, battery-powered or crank radio and flashlight, water and food for kids and pets for a few days. Here’s more on how to prepare a go-bag and evacuate quickly.
Be prepared for power outages
During all kinds of disasters, the power often goes out. That means no water from the faucet, no working gas pumps at the gas station, and possibly no cellphone service. So what do you do in that situation, possibly for days or weeks?
Make sure you have bottled water, backup power, your car half full of gas or half charged at least, a manual way to open an electric garage door, and more. Be sure you think through your own and your loved ones’ specific needs — for example, do you use electric-powered medical equipment?
Yusra Farzan
has covered the Rancho Palos Verdes landslide since 2023.
Published April 20, 2026 5:00 AM
Landslide damage resulting in uneven pavement along Palos Verdes Drive South in Rancho Palos Verdes on April 4, 2026.
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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Topline:
Roughly three years after above average rainfall fueled a devastating landslide in Rancho Palos Verdes, the landscape has become almost unrecognizable. Homes, ripped apart by the land movement, have been wiped away, creating swaths of unusable open space. Trying to slow the landslide has pushed the city to the financial brink. But also caught in the landslide’s crosshairs is a beloved seaside network of trails that continues to be pulled apart and will never be the same.
How we got here: The area was once green rolling hills offering spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island. Now, much of the land is riddled with 20-foot chasms, some of which span 12 feet. For decades, land movement was minimal. But with above average rainfall in 2022 and 2023 it rapidly accelerated — up to 1 foot per week in some places. Land movement has since slowed to about 1.6 inches a week, thanks in part to wells the city installed that suck water out of the ground, but damage to the around 16 miles of trails remains and will likely never be abated.
The effects on nature: The California gnatchater, a small songbird that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service calls “threatened” and the endangered Palos Verdes blue butterfly rely on certain host plants within the preserve. Cris Sarabia, conservation director for the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy, said the species can also benefit from less human activity.
Roughly three years after above-average rainfall fueled a devastating landslide in Rancho Palos Verdes, the landscape has become almost unrecognizable. Homes, ripped apart by the land movement, have been wiped away, creating swaths of unusable open space. Trying to slow the landslide has pushed the city to the financial brink.
But also caught in the landslide’s crosshairs is a beloved seaside network of trails that continues to be pulled apart and will never be the same.
The area was once green rolling hills offering spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island. Now, much of the land is riddled with 20-foot chasms, some of which span 12 feet.
For decades, land movement was minimal. But above-average rainfall in 2022 and 2023 rapidly accelerated — up to 1 foot per week in some places — prompting Southern California Edison and SoCalGas to shut off utilities for hundreds of residents.
Landslide damage has closed dozens of trails in the Portuguese Bend area of Rancho Palos Verdes on April 4.
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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Landslide damage has closed dozens of trails in the Portuguese Bend community area of Rancho Palos Verdes on April 4.
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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Land movement has since slowed to about 1.6 inches a week, thanks in part to wells the city installed that suck water out of the ground, but damage to the around 16 miles of trails remains and will likely never be abated.
"We don't traverse those areas on a regular basis. We occasionally use drones to look at the damage,” said Ara Mihranian, Rancho Palos Verdes’ city manager. “You can't get across certain trails, so if we even went down into a certain area, we wouldn't be able to continue because of the open fissures in the ground.”
William Lavoie of the Palos Verdes South Bay group of the Sierra Club has hiked trails in the 1,500 acre-Palos Verdes Nature Reserve once a week for about 25 years. Before the city closed off the area, he said he saw a telephone pole “ tipping at about a 30-degree angle.”
Landslides resulted in a home being severely damaged in Rancho Palos Verdes on April 4.
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Brian Feinzimer
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LAist
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“ I understand why they closed the trails because there were some pretty good-sized fissures,” he said. “It would be very sad if somebody broke a leg or twisted an ankle or broke an ankle.”
The effects on nature
But the destruction hasn’t been a total loss.
The California gnatcatcher, a small songbird that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service calls “threatened” and the endangered Palos Verdes blue butterfly rely on certain host plants within the preserve.
“ The habitat that supports the wildlife has been fragmented, has been damaged with fissures opening up in the ground, splitting apart. Coastal sage scrub has actually been sucked in by the fissures,” Mihranian said. “That impacts the corridors and the wildlife patterns that you see out in the preserve.”
But Cris Sarabia, conservation director for the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy, said the species can also benefit from less human activity.
“ Both of those endangered species have wings so they could essentially fly,” he said. “So the fissures on the trails or the cracks in the ground don't necessarily cause big impacts to them because they're able to move around.”
Sarabia said his organization is also tracking the cactus wren bird that resides in a cactus found within the landslide area.
“ We have been working closely with the different entities doing the [mitigation] work to avoid as much habitat as possible, but unfortunately some of these areas overlap,” he said.
Meanwhile, the conservancy is trying to salvage the cactus and preparing for restoration of the sites, collecting native seeds and growing new plants.
But the true extent of the damage and the effects to wildlife are unclear, Mihranian said, because city officials haven’t been able to go in to do a full assessment — the area is too unsafe.
”It's going to be a herculean effort and a very costly one as well,” Mihranian said of repairing the damage.
A colossal financial drain
Listen
0:43
How Rancho Palos Verdes’ beloved hiking trails have been forever altered by landslide
When the current fiscal year ends in June, Rancho Palos Verdes will have spent close $65 million on efforts related to the landslide since October 2022. For context, the city’s annual operating budget is around $40 million.
“ The city has taken a huge hit on this emergency response,” Mihranian said.
Rancho Palos Verdes has appealed to state and federal officials for assistance, but with little to no success.
Adding salt to the wounds, the city has also lost out on revenue from parking fees for the preserve. Revenue generated at the Abalone Cove Park lot has dropped from $150,000 each year, to just $11,000, according to the city. Revenue from parking near Del Cerro Park also decreased from around $32,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 to just $4,000.
Not to mention all the homes that have been lost, uprooting the lives of residents who haven’t been able to resell, instead relying on a government-backed buy back program.
Alternative trail routes
Lavoie, the Sierra Club member, said despite the trail closures, the vast open space in the Palos Verdes Peninsula means there are plenty of alternatives.
Here are some of his favorites:
Lavoie affectionately calls the trail behind Highridge Park “the maze.” It’s an easy one-hour walk and you get to share the trail with horses.
Malaga Cove: Pass Neptune fountain, the library and post office to continue along a grassy hill shaded by eucalyptus trees. Use the utility pathway to reach La Venta Inn.
The Via Buena stairs in Lunada Bay.
There are lots of great trails that start at Ernie Howlett Park.
Anyone can join the Palos Verdes South Bay group of the Sierra Club on their hikes in the peninsula. Check their calendar for meeting spots and times.
Destiny Torres
is LAist's general assignment reporter and brings you the top news you need for the day.
Published April 20, 2026 5:00 AM
Tickets to the FIFA Fan Festival at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum go on sale this week.
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David McNew
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Getty Images
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Topline:
Tickets to the FIFA Fan Festival will go on sale next week for eager soccer fans who want to celebrate the World Cup at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum.
What’s the Fan Festival? The festival is a four-day event featuring live music and other entertainment. Soccer fans will also be able to watch live matches.
Read on … for what you need to know before the sale goes live.
Soccer fans who want to celebrate the World Cup at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum will be able to purchase tickets to the FIFA Fan Festival on April 22.
The four-day celebration begins the same day as the tournament, June 11, and goes through June 14. It’ll include live music, match broadcasts and other entertainment, according to FIFA.
Los Angeles is hosting eight tournament matches at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood this summer, including the match between the U.S. and Paraguay on June 12.
What you need to know
General admission tickets are $10, and reserved club and loge seats are $30. Children younger than 12 years old are free.
If event days are not sold out, fans can also purchase tickets at the Coliseum’s box office at Gate 29.
The venue does enforce strict bag rules. Any bags must be clear, and exceptions can be made for special circumstances, like medical or infant care items.
What games will be broadcast?
Fans can catch some World Cup matches on big screens. Here’s the schedule:
June 11 Mexico vs. South Africa, noon
June 12 Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, noon U.S.A. vs Paraguay, 6 p.m.
June 13 Brazil vs Morocco, 3 p.m. Haiti vs Scotland, 6 p.m.
June 14 Germany vs Curacao, 10 a.m. Netherlands vs Japan, 1 p.m.
How do I get to the Coliseum?
There’s more than one way to get to the venue. For public transit, the Metro E Line makes two stops near the Coliseum — Expo Park/USC and Expo/Vermont.
There will also be a designated area for rideshare drop-offs and pickups at Vermont Avenue between Exposition Boulevard and Downey Way.
Additional parking will also be available just a short walk from the venue on the USC campus. You can pre-book parking spaces starting at $55, here.
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Beyonce's 'Lemonade' turns 10 this year, with a celebration happening at El Cid.
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Duane Prokop
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Getty Images
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In this edition:
LACMA opens the David Geffen Galleries, a no-waste Earth Day with local chefs, Reefer Madness tokes up on 4/20 and more of the best things to do this week.
Highlights:
Spend Earth Day revisiting the environmentally conscious kids’ classic FernGully. Comedians like Cameron Esposito, Eric Bauza, Christa B. Allen and many more star in this live reading at Dynasty Typewriter. A donation will be made to the World Wildlife Fund.
You thought I’d forget that today is 4/20? Celebrate with a live performance of the musical Reefer Madness, based on the 1936 anti-marijuana propaganda film, on through May 10 at the Wisteria Theater in North Hollywood. Those crazy kids.
Join PBS SoCal for this special Independent Lens pop-up screening of the upcoming documentary, The Librarians. The film follows a Texas battle over restrictions on race and LGBTQIA+ materials, and tells the story of the librarians on the front lines. As lawmakers around the country push boundaries of censorship, the film looks at “the broader implications on these restrictions for education and public life.”
The new David Geffen Galleries at LACMA opened to members this week, and I was thrilled to get a sneak peek at the space. The Brutalist spaceship-like arm that reaches across Wilshire Boulevard is organized loosely (even the accompanying guidebook is titled “Wander”), bringing decorative arts, design and photography onto the same plane as traditional painting and sculpture.
I particularly liked the American West rooms and the design-focused areas that somehow make even a full-sized car look small. Outside is just as impressive, with a Rodin sculpture garden and old friends like Alexander Calder’s "Three Quintains (Hello Girls)" — first commissioned for the museum in 1965 — getting a new home and water feature. There are lots of new spots to explore during the next Jazz at LACMA, for sure.
Licorice Pizza has your music picks, including Monday’s lineup of Biffy Clyro at the Belasco, Maya Hawke at Sid The Cat Auditorium, Langhorne Slim at the Troubadour, Young the Giant at the Grammy Museum and David Lee Roth runnin’ with the devil at House of Blues Anaheim. On Tuesday, Throwing Muses plays the Teragram, Failure plays Zebulon, Cheap Trick transforms Pomona College’s Bridges Auditorium into Budokan and the UK’s Flyte plays their first of two nights at the LodgeRoom.
Wednesday, Daptone Records soul trio Thee Sacred Souls is at the Greek Theatre (they’ll play there Thursday as well). Also Thursday, She Wants Revenge is at the Wiltern, Ari Lennox is at YouTube Theater, fabulous showman Bright Light Bright Light plays the Mint and Britain’s Art Brut performs their entire album Bang Bang Rock & Roll at the LodgeRoom.
Wednesday, April 22, 6:30 p.m. Emerson College Los Angeles 5960 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy PBS SoCal
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Join PBS SoCal for this special Indie Lens pop-up screening of the upcoming documentary, The Librarians. The film follows a Texas battle over restrictions on race and LGBTQ+ materials and tells the story of the librarians on the front lines. As lawmakers around the country push boundaries of censorship, the film looks at “the broader implications on these restrictions for education and public life.”
Mill at Little City Farm: No-waste dinners
Wednesday and Thursday, April 22 and 23 Little City Farm 1148 S. Victoria Ave., Koreatown COST: $125; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Mona Creative
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Big-name local chefs like Quarter Sheets’ Aaron Lindell and Wildair’s Jeremiah Stone and Fabián von Hauske Valtierra try their hand at no-waste cooking at Little City Farm for Earth Week in collaboration with home composting company, Mill. On Wednesday, (Earth Day): Mike Fadem of James Beard semifinalist pizza restaurant Ops will collaborate with Lindell to create no-waste pizza recipes. Then, on Thursday, Stone and Valtierra team up with 2026 James Beard Emerging Chef finalist Fátima Juárez of Komal to showcase Mexican heritage-inspired dishes. All proceeds benefit LA Compost.
OC Made
Through Saturday, August 1 Fullerton Museum Center 301. N Pomona Ave., Fullerton COST: $10; MORE INFO
Head to the Fullerton Museum Center for a new biennial juried exhibition, OC Made. It’s the first show of its kind dedicated to artists living and working in Orange County. This year’s crop features 108 artists and more than 130 pieces spanning painting, photography, sculpture and mixed media. Among the winners are Ramón Vargas for his piece "Wolf," plus curators’ choice nominees Jacquelin Nagel for "Begonia Maculata" and Brooke Hunter for "Center Stage." And keep an eye out for other events at the museum, like the Downtown Fullerton Art Walk on May 1.
Genesis Talks: Michael Govan and Peter Zumthor
Wednesday, April 22, 7 p.m. LACMA 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Miracle Mile COST: $10; MORE INFO
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Brigitte Lacombe
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Finn Partners
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This event is currently sold out, but keep an eye out for a last-minute chance to get a behind-the-scenes look at the design and building of LACMA’s new David Geffen Galleries with LACMA CEO Michael Govan and Swiss architect Peter Zumthor.
Reefer Madness: The Musical
Through Sunday, May 10 Wisteria Theater 7061 Vineland Ave., North Hollywood COST: FROM $58; MORE INFO
You thought I’d forget that today is 4/20? Celebrate with a viewing of the musical Reefer Madness, based on the 1936 anti-marijuana propaganda film, on through May 10 at the Wisteria Theater in North Hollywood. Those crazy kids.
Lemonade 10-Year Anniversary Party
Thursday, April 23 El Cid 4212 Sunset Blvd., Silverlake COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Beyoncé's 'Lemonade' turns 10 years old.
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Frederick M. Brown
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Getty Images
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Has it really been 10 years since Beyoncé released Lemonade? El Cid says so, so it must be true. Dance off your fears about getting old at this anniversary album party.
Earth Day with FernGully
Wednesday, April 22, 7 p.m. Dynasty Typewriter 2511 Wilshire Blvd., MacArthur Park COST: $20; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Dynasty Typewriter
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Spend Earth Day revisiting the environmentally conscious 1992 kids’ classic FernGully (soon to also be a live-action film directed by Marielle Heller — the nostalgia is real). Comedians like Cameron Esposito, Eric Bauza, Christa B. Allen and many more star in this live reading at Dynasty Typewriter. A donation will be made to the World Wildlife Fund.
Living Legends of Drag
Wednesday, April 22, 7:30 p.m. Barnsdall Gallery Theatre 4800 Hollywood Blvd., Los Feliz COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Lil Miss Hot Mess
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Eventbrite
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Join drag kings and queens, including El Daña (the Guinness World Records' certified oldest performing drag king), Mo B. Dick (Drag King History), "Mother" Karina Samala (Imperial Court of Los Angeles and Hollywood), Jazzmun (Peanuts) and Manny Oakley (LA Drag Archive) for a panel — and, of course, a performance — about drag history and culture. Hosted by Lil Miss Hot Mess, the event is free and part of the National Humanities Center’s Being Human Festival, which runs through May 3.
A woman walks past a banner showing missiles being launched, in northern Tehran, Iran, on Friday.
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Vahid Salemi
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AP
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Topline:
A woman was arrested at LAX on Saturday night for allegedly trafficking arms on behalf of the Iranian government, according to authorities.
Why now: Shamim Mafi of Woodland Hills is charged with helping the regime sell drones, bombs, bomb fuses and millions of rounds of ammunition to Sudan.
The backstory: Bill Essayli, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, made the arrest announcement Sunday morning on social media.
A woman was arrested for allegedly trafficking arms on behalf of the Iranian government at LAX on Saturday night, according to authorities.
Shamim Mafi of Woodland Hills is charged with helping the regime sell drones, bombs and millions of rounds of ammunition to Sudan.
Bill Essayli, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, made the arrest announcement Sunday morning on social media.
The 44-year-old Mafi is expected to appear in court for a bond hearing Monday afternoon in downtown L.A.
According to the criminal complaint filed by the Department of Justice and obtained by LAist, Mafi allegedly brokered weapons deals on behalf of Iran through Atlas International, a business in Oman she co-owns, including facilitating a contract valued at more than €60 million (or some US $70 million) for the sale of Iranian-made armed drones to Sudan.
She is also being accused of brokering the sale of 55,000 bomb fuses, AK-47 machine guns and other weapons to the Sudanese Ministry of Defense.
Mafi faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted.
Essayli said Mafi is an Iranian national who became a permanent resident of the U.S. in 2016.
