Southern California Edison plans to turn off power service to about 140 homes in the Portuguese Bend region of Rancho Palos Verdes by noon on Sunday. The announcement came a month after gas service was shut off for families in the same area due to increased land movements.
"At this point, land movement in Rancho Palos Verdes has created such a dangerous situation that we must make the difficult decision to disconnect power indefinitely to keep that community safe," Reggie Kumar, a SCE spokesperson, told LAist.
Kumar said that affected residents were being notified Saturday, adding that accelerated land movement is causing damage to electrical equipment and has become a public safety threat.
The current land slippage in Portuguese Bend has been ongoing since 1956, but has worsened in recent years after two winters' worth of heavy rain accelerated land movement in the area. The land is currently moving at a rate of about 1 foot per week.
Gas service was shut off for about 135 homes at the end of July.
Evacuation warning in effect
In the wake of the announcement, Rancho Palos Verdes has issued an evacuation warning for homes in the Portuguese Bend area — warning those living in the affected zones to be prepared to leave and seek alternative shelter.
After the power is shut off, the city has warned families to not use water or plumbing to prevent a sewage spill.
Support for affected families
Rancho Palos Verdes will open an emergency assistance center for residents in the evacuation zone on Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 6 pm. at the Ladera Linda Community Center.
Location: 32201 Forrestal Dr, Rancho Palos Verdes
Phone: (310) 544-5260
For latest SCE' information: sce.com/rpv
Housing: Those who need temporary housing should email landmovement@rpvca.gov
Charging station: SCE also will provide a vehicle to serve people who need to charge devices or get information. That customer care vehicle will be parked on Narcissa Drive at the Pepper Wood gate, starting Sunday through Tuesday. The hours of operation are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Note: SoCalGas came under fire after the gas shutoff this summer for not giving enough notice to families, including from L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn. The company eventually provided $2,500 to each impacted account holder.
Follow our coverage
- Rancho Palos Verdes land movement leads to 10,000-gallon sewage spill
- Rancho Palos Verdes says it's dealing with a much larger and faster moving landslide
- SoCalGas shuts off service to 135 Rancho Palos Verdes homes indefinitely
