More homes evacuated after massive landslide in Rolling Hills Estates

More evacuations were ordered as homes continue collapsing into a canyon in Rolling Hills Estates on Wednesday.

City officials unanimously declared a local state of emergency Tuesday night as more residents became displaced.

The landslide was first reported late Saturday night when the landslide forced dozens of evacuations along Peartree Lane on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

In addition to twelve homes that were red-tagged as unsafe, five additional homes were forced to evacuate due to a broken sewer line. By Wednesday, around 17 homes are being monitored amid the shifting ground.

The ground had shifted over 20 feet in a 24-hour period, leaving a trail of destruction behind including a jumble of collapsed roofs, shattered walls, tilted chimneys and decks dangling over an adjacent canyon.

Los Angeles County Assessor Jeff Prang said he has met with property owners affected by the landslide. He said property tax relief is available to the victims through a Misfortune and Calamity Program if they have sustained a minimum of $10,000 in damages.

Although officials said the land sinking underneath the homes has slowed a bit, the area adjacent to the canyon is now undergoing evaluation by city and county officials along with utility companies.

The cause of the massive landslide also remains a mystery as geologists and experts are working to determine the root cause. The city also said it will be working with the homeowner’s association to investigate the issue as well.

“There are only three things that are controlling whether you have a landslide or not and that’s the steepness of the hillside, the underlying rock type that’s underneath that hillside and the water saturation in the rocks or the soil,” said Dr. Nate Onderdonk, a professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at Cal State Long Beach. “The topography, the steepness doesn’t really change that fast and neither does the rock type, so it’s really got to be something to do with the water.”

A fissure running among the homes raised suspicion that this past winter’s heavy rains may be involved, said Janice Hahn, chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, who represents the area.

Meanwhile, displaced residents are not only heartbroken over the destruction of their homes, but many are stuck dealing with the nightmare of insurance coverage.

Insurance expert, Janet Ruiz from the Insurance Information Institute, told KTLA that typical insurance will likely not cover damages from the landslide.

Standalone earthquake insurance will also probably not cover this kind of situation. The residents’ only hope may rely on a difference in conditions policy.

“The insurance that would cover landslide, earth movement would be a difference in condition policy,” explained Ruiz. “That covers earth movement, earthquake, flooding, so it’s kind of an all-in-one policy but again it’s a specialty policy and it’s not covered under your regular homeowner’s insurance.”

Officials say the process of determining the root cause could take months. 

Britt Huff, the Mayor of Rolling Hill Estates, told KTLA the five homes that were evacuated due to a ruptured sewer line could potentially return home once repairs to the line are made as the homes are not sitting on moving ground.

L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn announced on Wednesday the creation of a fund worth $125,000 to help displaced residents.

Editor’s note: This story was updated to correct a misidentified name.