State of Emergency Declared in Rancho Palos Verdes

Rancho Palos Verdes, a coastal city in Southern California, is experiencing accelerated landslides, with ground movement increasing from 8 inches per year to 13 inches per week. This has led to significant infrastructure damage, loss of power to nearly 250 homes, and a state of emergency declared by Governor Gavin Newsom. The area's geology, consisting of weak rocks and clay layers, combined with intense rainfall over the past two years, has rendered the cliffs increasingly unstable. Homeowners now face the challenge of transitioning to off-grid power solutions, as typical insurance policies do not cover landslide damages. Local residents express resilience and a desire for long-term solutions, while experts note that the situation may be difficult to control moving forward. The community, with its luxury homes perched on cliffs, is facing a growing threat as the natural processes of erosion are exacerbated by recent weather patterns.