SoCalGas shut off service to 135 homes in Rancho Palos Verdes on Monday morning, as the Portuguese Bend landslide compromised the safety of gas lines in the area, according to a statement posted on the company's website.
It's unclear if and when service will be turned back on.
Where things stand
According to SoCalGas, they’ve responded to the land movement over the past several months by installing flexible pipeline joints, a quick shutoff valve and relocating hundreds of feet of pipeline.
No leaks have been detected and no evacuations were ordered as of Monday.
There are also no plans cut off water or sewer services, according to California Water Service and L.A. County Sanitation Districts.
SoCal Edison shut off electrical services to three homes on July 3, according to city geologist Mike Phipps. A spokesperson for the utility, Reggie Kumar, said other residents should prepare for loss of power moving forward.
“Since this is a dynamic situation customers should prepare for the power being shut off to keep everyone safe," Kumar said in a statement. "SCE will provide as much notice as possible should a decision be made to de-energize additional customers.”
On Tuesday, SoCalGas employees will go from home to home to shut off gas service at the meter. They'll also be distributing $2,500 to residents who were affected by the loss of gas for necessities including meals.
How residents are coping
Izabella Sehon, 23, grew up in Rancho Palos Verdes in her grandmother’s home overlooking the iconic Wayfarers Chapel and the picturesque Pacific Ocean. Now, the chapel has been disassembled and her childhood home she hoped to raise her children in is falling apart because of the rapid land movement.
There are five fissures in the garden — so wide you can stick your balled up fist in them. Two guest houses on the property are crumbling.
Sehon’s grandmother, Corrine Gerrard, has lived in the house for over 40 years, and said the land movement has been an “adventure, that’s for sure, and a lifestyle change.”
“I like gardens, my garden is no longer existing,” Gerrard said. And she can’t entertain like she used to because she is worried about a water or sewer line break.
Sehon said there was some land movement when she was growing up, but not as drastic as it is today. Seeing the house go down, she said, has been heartbreaking.
“We are not leaving. My grandma has made that very clear,” Sehon said. “She wants to stay until it goes down, and honestly, I'm going to back her on that. She put so much money and so much time into making this a suitable home.”
With gas now shut off, the homeowners are preparing to lose electricity, too.
“Solar generators are being talked about now,” Sehon said. “I think a lot of the homeowners are going to start buying generators and the kind of things that we can use to power by the sun.”
How we got here
Land movement accelerated due to two years of heavy rains, as water was caught both on top of and below the slide due to a large impermeable layer of clay, which is common in the area.
"As of July 1st, the highest movements we were seeing were over 13 inches per week," Phipps said.
In response to the land movement, city officials moved to try and drain the water, working with contractors who have been drilling bore holes since June in an effort to figure out where they should start pumping.
When the locations are identified, the plan is to use hydraugers to access the water horizontally, hopefully preventing the land movement from shearing the lines.
Even if they are successful in removing large amounts of water it could take up to six months to see a sizable impact in movement. In the meantime, homes and infrastructure will continue to be damaged.
"These residents were not given enough time to prepare for their gas to be turned off," L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a statement to LAist on Monday afternoon. "Importantly, in this meeting we got a commitment from all utilities to communicate more effectively with the community in the future."
What we know about help for residents
What that county assistance may be is unclear. There was an all-hands-on-deck meeting to discuss SoCalGas’ decision to cut gas service, according to Supervisor Hahn. It is unclear when or if these families will have their service restored.
We do know that, according to a site created to keep Rancho Palos Verdes residents updated:
- SoCalGas will provide $2,500 to "each impacted account holder."
- The company will work with the Portuguese Bend Homeowners Association "to promptly deliver the assistance to customers."
Hahn feels $2,500 per family is not enough and has "asked them to consider a larger amount for these families as they navigate this crisis."
