Land movement is slowing down in Rancho Palos Verdes as the city prepares for the upcoming winter season

The land movement that has been ravaging Rancho Palos Verdes, cutting utilities to hundreds of homes in the process, has slowed recently but is still moving 80 times faster than in 2022, officials said Tuesday.

Land movement has slowed to an average 8 inches a week, down from 12 inches in some parts of the Portuguese Bend landslide complex, even as officials prepare for the upcoming winter by allocating millions of dollars in work to prevent further rain damage.

How we got here

Above average rainfall over two winters has changed the topography of the area: in the Portuguese Bend Beach Club area, land has bulged upward of about 6 feet from the ocean, creating a new beach.

The unstable land has also caused indefinite power and gas shutoffs for more than 200 homes in Rancho Palos Verdes and the neighboring city of Rolling Hills. The damage has prompted some residents to move out, while others have installed generators and solar panels as they fight to stay.

What’s being done to stop the land movement

At Tuesday’s meeting, city leaders approved $4 million for temporary measures to slow down land movement during the upcoming winter season. Fissures in Altamira Canyon and Klondike Canyon will be filled with soil, as well as a bentonite seal to prevent water collecting and seeping into the ground.

City officials have said that while they cannot stop the land movement completely, they hope to slow it down. Six deep dewatering wells have been activated at the toe of the slide to remove about 600 gallons of water per minute.

According to a city report, “preliminary data shows movement has slowed down at a greater rate in the area since the wells were activated.”

Resources for residents

Of the $5 million allocated by Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, officials will spend around $2.8 million toward financial grants for residents. The remaining money will go toward repairing and stabilizing public roads, the sewer system and other infrastructure damage.

Around 280 residents affected by the landslide will be eligible for up to $10,000 in financial grants to use toward buying generators and batteries because of the power shut offs or repairs and shoring up landslide damage. They can also use that money for temporary housing or storage costs. Residents will have to submit documentation with their application for the grant showing expenses incurred.

The city will be sharing details soon on how to apply with the Portuguese Bend Community Association, Seaview and Portuguese Bend Beach Club neighborhoods, which have suffered the heaviest damage.