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Climate & Environment

Rancho Palos Verdes gets $10M to buy 5 more properties ravaged by the landslide

A broken mountain road. An orange cone to the right of frame.
Land movement made a section of Narcissa Drive impassable in September 2024.
(
Brian Feinzimer
/
LAist
)

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Topline:

Rancho Palos Verdes city officials announced Tuesday that five more homes ravaged by land movement could be eligible for a buyout. That’s because the city is set to receive around $10 million from a FEMA grant.

How we got here: Land movement in the Portuguese Bend area has increased in Rancho Palos Verdes in recent years, triggered by above-average rainfall since 2022. Those landslides have left around 20 homes uninhabitable and forced dozens of people off the grid after being stripped of power, gas and internet services.

About the grant: Any time a state of emergency is declared in a state, that state, in this case California, can apply for the Hazard Mitigation Grant from FEMA. Those funds are then allocated to cities, tribal agencies and other communities for projects that will help reduce the impact of disasters. The city has a buyout program underway for around 22 homes, also funded through a FEMA grant.

What’s next: Rancho Palos Verdes has applied for additional federal funds to buy out homes in the area, with the goal of demolishing the structures and turning the lots into open space.

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