These Signs Could Be An Indication Your Home Is About To Slide Down A Hill

On Saturday, L.A. County firefighters responded to a call at a hillside home in Rolling Hills Estates, where the owners said they could hear creaking, see the structure tilting and cracks visibly growing.

It wasn’t long after the first responders arrived that they decided to evacuate 12 homes in the area due to landslide potential.

Sure enough, by Sunday, the soil beneath them gave out and the houses began to slide into Agua Amarga Canyon below.

The reason for the landslide is currently under investigation, but they often happen when water’s involved.

How landslides happen

As water slowly percolates through the ground — either due to something like a broken water main or a major storm — it squeezes in between particles of soil, increasing pressure. The soil struggles to stick together until a weak spot gives out and everything starts to slide.

“In general, deep landslides, slow-moving landslides that start to creep for a while then may fail catastrophically often take a long time to wake up,” said Jason Kean, research hydrologist with the USGS. “It can be on a months to years timescale.”

Meaning, landslides are still possible as a result of heavy rains months or years ago.

Warning signs one is imminent

Landslides are more likely to occur on steep terrain and, importantly, in places where landslides have occurred before.

Look at the state’s Landslide Inventory map and you can see that they’ve occurred in the same canyon the homes this weekend began to collapse into.

It’s all but impossible to predict exactly when a landslide will occur, but there are warning signs people should look out for:

• The movement of land either around or beneath the home.
• Cracks growing around or inside the home in places like the foundation.
• A creaking sound like the earth around you is moving.
• Utilities, water lines and gas lines breaking.

The U.S. Geological Survey has a comprehensive list available.

If there are signs of a landslide, contact the fire department or public works.