Rolling Hills Estates homes still collapsing, up to 16 more homes threatened, officials says
Days after a major landslide in a Rolling Hills Estates neighborhood that destroyed 10 homes and forced evacuations, officials said the earth below continued to move, increasing concerns for up to 16 other properties in the area.
Rolling Hills Estates homes still collapsing, up to 16 more homes threatened, officials says
ROLLING HILLS ESTATES, Calif. (KABC) -- Days after a major landslide in a Rolling Hills Estates neighborhood that destroyed at least 10 homes and forced evacuations, officials said the earth below continued to move, increasing concerns for up to 16 other properties in the area.
The hillside gave way and began sliding into the canyon below on Saturday. The L.A. County Fire Department says 12 homes have been red-tagged and 10 are still actively sliding.
On Monday, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn said the ground was still producing significant movement which she described as "unbelievable."
"I think it has moved another 20 feet from last night... We're now seeing entire homes that have collapsed and are into the ravine behind their homes. It is moving quickly," Hahn said.
Cracks and movement could be heard as Eyewitness News reported from the scene throughout the weekend. Officials fear the continuing landslide will force more people to evacuate their homes.
"Over the course of the last two or three days, it's been what you might call a little dramatic. Buildings changing positions, degrees of angle popping," said Greg Brooks, who lives nearby.
About 16 people were forced to evacuate shortly after a water leak was reported at around 4 p.m. Saturday on Peartree Lane.
Some homeowners have been in the neighborhood for as short as two months, others decades. For the homes that are completely gone, the concern now is whether insurance will cover their total loss.
"Many of them are unsure whether they're insured. One resident moved in two months ago, his escrow just closed and he's unsure whether or not his insurance will cover this," said Hahn.
Other neighbors have said they had been feeling something was wrong for as far back as last Thursday.
"We thought something was amiss because all through the day and night we heard cracks in the house," said one resident evacuated, Weber Yen. "And then, you know, the frequency became more and more frequent."
Hahn said there's nothing that can be done for the homes that were still actively collapsing Monday. Authorities were simply waiting for the homes to essentially arrive at their final resting place at the bottom of the ravine.
"At this point, there's nothing - I'm told - that we can do to prevent any movement."
Hahn tweeted that she would be meeting with residents at 5 p.m. Monday to "determine next steps."
City and County officials -- including the L.A. County assessor and mayor of Rolling Hills Estates -- will also be doing a walk-through around the area Monday evening.
As for the cause of the landslide, that will take some time to determine.
Some residents said an ongoing water leak may be to blame, as they said one homeowner received a $1,000 water bill and was told that they had a leak.
Meanwhile, a geologist and soil expert will be on site to look into the cause and potentially provide reassurance or information to other residents anxiously waiting to see if their properties will be impacted.
Source: KABC-TV
