Climate
Los Angeles landslide forces dozens of evacuations as houses lean over canyon
At least 12 homes were deemed uninhabitable and were given evacuation orders. Residents were told they had about 20 minutes to gather their belongings
July 10, 2023 2:20am
Updated: July 10, 2023 2:20am
Several California homes had to be evacuated on Saturday after a massive landslide in Rolling Hills Estates left homes “visibly leaning” over a canyon, authorities said.
At around 4 p.m. on Saturday, Los Angeles County Fire Department officials responded to a call reporting a water leak at Peartree Lane. Upon inspecting the leak, officials noticed cracks and damage on the structure of the home.
"From that point, we started noticing the significant cracks, started going door to door, and all the residents were very obliging and moved out really quick," Los Angeles County Fire Department assistant chief Brian Bennett said during a press conference.
Realizing the danger that the fissures posed, officials ordered the neighboring homes to be inspected as well. At least 12 homes were deemed uninhabitable and were given evacuation orders. Residents were told they had about 20 minutes to gather their belongings. Police, fire, and utility companies arrived at the scene to assist with the evacuations.
"[I] was taken on a brief tour looking at the fissure that was winding its way through these 12 homes and even in the 45 minutes I was here, the land continued to move, in my opinion, very quickly," Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn explained during a conference. "Since I was here last night, I've been told the land has moved about six feet."
Pictures and videos of the area show half-sunken homes that were continuing to slide off into the canyon.
Residents in the area reported that they began hearing cracking and popping noises as early as Thursday in the neighborhood, which was built in 1978.
“We thought something was amidst because all through the day and night we heard cracks in the house,” said Weber Yen, one of the residents that had to evacuate. “'And then, you know, the frequency became more and more frequent.
Experts believe the ground might have shifted as a result of excess rain in the area. However, geologists are continuing to investigate the underlying cause.
