Cliffside residents of one of Southern California’s wealthiest coastal enclaves were left shaken after part of a seaside bluff recently gave way, sending sections of backyards plunging 200 feet into the Pacific Ocean.
But Palos Verdes resident Geno Imbriale, who owns a home on the cliff worth $2.5 million, isn’t worried, even though the house has plummeted in value.
‘It’s like a drive-by shooting, which house gets hit. You just never know,’ Imbriale told the Daily Mail.
But despite the landslide risk, he isn’t leaving.
‘I grew up here, it’s home. My wife and my kids, we all love it. I feel like it will stand for another 100 years, maybe more,’ he said.
The collapse happened last month on Marguerite Drive in Rancho Palos Verdes, about a 10-minute drive from Imbriale’s own Narcissa Drive home.
Between 300 and 400 feet of the bluff ‘sloughed off’ into the sea in a crescent-shaped break, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
The disaster left a row of multimillion-dollar homes suddenly much closer to the edge than their owners had ever expected.
Pictured: The section of bluff that collapsed on Marguerite Drive in Ranchos Palos Verdes in September
Multi-million-dollar homes in Palos Verdes are at risk due to land movement which edges them closer to the ocean
Palos Verdes resident Geno Imbriale owns a home on the cliff facing the Pacific Ocean worth $2.5 million, and has no plans to leave despite the risk
Imbriale bought his mansion in 2022, and said he never expected the land to be disappearing this quickly.
At one point in 2023, he said, the home was moving closer to the cliff at an alarming rate of 17 inches per week. Normally, that number should be two inches.
Miraculously, no one was hurt and no houses fell as a result of the landslide in September, though ‘significant soil movement has resulted in damage to several backyards,’ city officials said in a statement.
While splintered fences and mangled patios could be seen hanging over the cliff line, city manager Ara Mihranian described the scene in a statement as an ‘isolated land subsidence,’ insisting the area remains ‘static’ and that no evacuations are needed.
But in a region built on unstable ground, few are taking comfort.
Imbriale said he knows at least a dozen families who have voluntarily left their homes and moved away because they fear they will wake up in the Pacific.
‘This is California’s version of Russian roulette,’ Imbriale said. ‘It’s really random. There’s no rhyme or reason to it.’
Imbriale said growing up in the area, he knew about the region’s history with natural disasters but never expected it to worsen so quickly.
Imbriale’s renovated mid century modern single-level home embraces panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, Catalina Island, and the rolling hills of Rancho Palos Verdes
Palos Verdes is stunning, but panicked residents watch as their dream homes inch closer to disaster
In 2024, homes in Ranchos Palos Verdes had their gas lines shut down due to the ‘accelerated land movements’ causing ‘significant strain on SoCalGas’ infrastructure’
‘When we bought, the movement had been flatlined — maybe one to three inches a year for 30 or 40 years,’ he said.
‘That’s just normal coastal California. The neighborhood’s been here 70 years, so we thought: “It’s fine.”
‘We love it here. It feels rural, which is rare in Southern California. You’ve got space, ocean views, and a small-town feeling.’
But when unusually heavy rains hit last year, everything changed.
‘That’s when the landslide really reactivated,’ Imbriale said.
‘We have water pumps not far under our homes and roads. The pipes started breaking everywhere, and I saw Wayfarers Chapel — I’ve been to three weddings there — get visible damage. That’s when I went: “Oh c**p.”‘
The chapel, famous for hosting the weddings of movie star Jayne Mansfield and Beach Boys icon Brian Wilson, eventually closed last year due to ‘land movement.’
In 2024, the damage in the Portuguese Bend neighborhood grew severe enough that the county gas and electric companies pulled out of the area, forcing residents to find their own power sources.
Pictured: The intense damage from landslide activity in the Portuguese Bend neighborhood, where since 2023, over 20 homes have been declared unlivable
Residents have been warned to evacuate over the years as cracks deepen and foundations shift in Palos Verdes
From the deck of Imbriale’s home you can see Catalina and the rolling hills — but the earth beneath may no longer be safe
‘When the gas company pulled out, it was effective immediately. Same day,’ Imbriale told the Daily Mail.
‘So we had to go solar, add a propane tank, and a backup generator. It’s a long-term investment now, but it’s expensive. The gas alone is about double the price.’
Rancho Palos Verdes is about 30 miles south of Los Angeles and sits on some of the most unstable soil in the state.
Landslides have been reshaping the peninsula throughout history, repeatedly damaging homes, roads, and utilities. The landscape is always shifting. But it’s getting worse.
In addition to the Marguerite Drive landslide, there have also been small landslides on Portuguese Bend, located about four miles south of the September incident.
Slide activity picked up dramatically in 2023, prompting Governor Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency.
Nearly 20 homes there have been ‘red-tagged,’ meaning they’re unsafe to occupy.
City officials have launched a ‘geotechnical review’ which will assess the structural integrity of affected homes and continue monitoring the site twice a year.
What was once prime real estate is now a danger zone, as the coastline erodes due to severe weather and storms
California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency after slide activity picked up dramatically in 2023
‘We are concerned. Residents are concerned. The neighborhood is concerned,’ city manager Mihranian said in a statement after the Marguerite Drive collapse.
‘We are looking into it and working very closely with the property owners that have been affected.’
Cleanup costs also fell to private homeowners, as the damage occurred on private land.
Officials have urged the public to stay away while the bluff continues to settle.
Despite the uncertainty, residents like Imbriale say they’re staying put. He lives just a 12-minute drive from the collapse on Marguerite.
‘It’s scary sometimes,’ he said. ‘But this is home. You can’t beat the view — even if the ground underneath it keeps moving.’
