Recent data from NASA has revealed troubling details about the impacts of California’s landslides. One community in particular appears to be sliding toward the Pacific Ocean.
Palos Verdes Peninsula, a subregion in southwestern Los Angeles County, has endured horrific landslides and record rains in recent years. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California recently measured the movement in the area and found that its land has “slid toward the ocean by as much as 4 inches (10 centimeters) per week.” This occurred over a four-week period during the fall of 2024.
“Portions of the peninsula, which juts into the Pacific Ocean just south of the city of Los Angeles, are part of an ancient complex of landslides and has been moving for at least the past six decades, affecting hundreds of buildings in local communities,” NASA reported. “The motion accelerated, and the active area expanded following record-breaking rainfall in Southern California in 2023 and heavy precipitation in early 2024.”
“In effect, we’re seeing that the footprint of land experiencing significant impacts has expanded, and the speed is more than enough to put human life and infrastructure at risk,” said Alexander Handwerger, JPL landslide scientist, who performed the analysis.
This California Neighborhood is Literally Sliding Into the Pacific Ocean
This activity has devastated the community, with some homes split in half, forcing many residents to flee the region. Thankfully, in response to this data, the City of Rancho Palos Verdes, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) developed a $42 million voluntary buyout program for property owners in the area. This will help affected homeowners relocate to safer regions.
“While JPL’s radar imagery strongly visualizes this dramatic acceleration and expansion of the landslide area during September and October 2024, the city would note that the landslide has decelerated since October due to the drier weather conditions and the city’s installation of highly productive deep dewatering wells,” the City of Rancho Palos Verdes said in a statement.
“The city is hopeful that this trend holds with its dewatering and winterization measures and continues to urge state and federal agencies to financially support these efforts.”
The post This California Neighborhood Is Sliding Into the Pacific Ocean appeared first on VICE.
