California mansions worth hundreds of millions on verge of collapsing into ocean after cliff crumbled
Multiple-million-dollar seafront properties in California are on the brink of falling into the Pacific Ocean after a cliffside crumbled.
A coastal bluff along Marguerite Drive in Rancho Palos Verdes gave way on Saturday night, which is home to many large houses.
According to city officials, the cliff face fell 50 to 60 feet down towards the ocean, nobody was asked to evacuate their homes and no homes are threatened.
Images taken at the scene by ABC show some clearly unbothered residents relaxing in their pool just a few feet away from where officials set up yellow caution tape. Some of the properties’ well-manicured backyards now lie on the beach below.
City manager Ara Mihranian told the outlet that while he doesn’t feel the need to call for evacuations there is an unease among those living on the coast.
He said: ‘We are concerned. Residents are concerned. The neighborhood is concerned.
‘We are looking into it, and we are working very closely with the property owners that have been affected by it.’
Mihranian also referred to it as a ‘isolated land subsidence’, saying officials would not classify it as a landslide.
A coastal bluff along Marguerite Drive in Rancho Palos Verdes gave way on Saturday night, which is home to multiple addresses worth millions of dollars
The bluffs fell 50 to 60 feet down towards the ocean, nobody was asked to evacuate their homes and no homes are threatened, officials said
‘The bluff essentially dropped approximately 30 to 40 feet, and it’s in a crescent shape, and that crescent shape is approximately about 300-feet wide’, he added.
Officials have since brought in geologists to assess the site and identify the cause of the movement.
The latest update from the city added that due to it occurring on private property the homeowners would need to foot the bill to clean up the area.
A statement added: ‘Out of an abundance of caution, the City is advising the public to avoid the shoreline in the immediate vicinity of Marguerite Drive as the bluff settles.’
Resident Scott Leslie told ABC7: ‘I live not too far from here, occasionally see a crack in the foundation.
‘There’s so much movement going on down here it is very concerning, and it’s not really evident what it is being attributed to.’
The city of Rancho Palos Verdes has been inundated with landslides recently, with residents in the Portuguese Bend neighborhood hit hard.
Slide activity in the area, which is around five miles south of Marguerite Drive, caused some locals to have lose their gas and electricity for months last year.
The latest update from the city added that due to it occurring on private property the homeowners would need to foot the bill to clean up the area
An aerial view of the Rancho Palos Verdes coastline in California is seen here
Severe landslide damage on Dauntless Drive near the Portuguese Bend Community last year
Besides losing basic living facilities, endless road closures, damaged homes and trying to find a way to safely store food have dogged residents.
Utility companies were forced to shut off their access due to how unsafe the area has become due to the volatile ground.
California Governor Newsom declared a state of emergency in the city last September following the shut-offs.
The city has made it clear that the recent activity on Marguerite Drive is not linked at all with the Portuguese Bend area.
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