Frequently Asked Questions

It's the Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex — four connected landslides (Portuguese Bend, Abalone Cove, Klondike Canyon, and the Beach Club slide) on the south side of the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Rancho Palos Verdes, within a much larger ancient landslide that formed tens of thousands of years ago (the City also calls it the Ancient Altamira Landslide Complex). The City's Ordinance 692 (2025) puts current land movement at about 715 acres within the mapped ancient complex, and describes the four historically active landslide areas as about 1,076 acres as mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey and California Geological Survey. The City's boundary is on our landslide map.

Yes. Our interactive Palos Verdes and Portuguese Bend landslide map shows the City of Rancho Palos Verdes's 2025 Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex boundary (Ordinance 692) and the Abalone Cove and Klondike Canyon abatement districts (from the City's GIS data), movement at the City's GPS survey points in the newest full survey the City has posted, and local landmarks and the peninsula's other, separate slides, on a U.S. Geological Survey topographic map. The same page has a printable PDF of the map, a list of the City's official landslide map PDFs, a static image of the map for sharing, a plain-text list of everything on it, and a table of the City's latest movement rates by area.

For official City maps: the City's Landslide Area Map Address Search and boundary map (PDF) show which parcels fall under the landslide rules (confirm a specific parcel with the City at landmovement@rpvca.gov), and its survey page has the GPS survey reports and contour maps of how fast the ground is moving. For evacuation zones, use PVPready's Find Your Zone. Our map is approximate, not survey-grade, and not for parcel or legal decisions.

Sources: City of Rancho Palos Verdes GIS (Portuguese_Bend_Landslide_Complex) · City Landslide Surveys and Mapping · City Landslide Area Development Regulations.

The modern movement began in 1956 with the Portuguese Bend Landslide, which the City describes as about 240 acres. The Abalone Cove and Klondike Canyon slides started moving later (see the history timeline). In its August 5, 2025 staff report introducing Ordinance 692, the City said the four historically active slide areas cover about 1,076 acres, of which about 380 acres had been actively moving over the years.

Most of the growth came with the 2023–24 acceleration. The same report says that by March 2024 the City Geologist had documented about 700 acres of major land movement, 320 acres of it outside the prior boundaries of the historically active slides, and that the moving area now covers about 715 acres, including ground outside those boundaries, mostly uphill of the Portuguese Bend and Abalone Cove slides. The City's Land Movement Updates page sums it up: "The entire active landslide complex has expanded from 380 acres to 700 acres." In City documents, 380 acres is the area that had been moving before this expansion, not the size of the 1956 slide.

A map shared on social media in October 2026 labels 380 acres as the 1956 slide area, and its outlines do not follow the City's mapped boundary. For the City's boundary and movement data, see our landslide map and the City's survey maps and reports.

Sources: City of Rancho Palos Verdes, Portuguese Bend Landslide Remediation Project background (240 acres; reactivated 1956) · City staff report, Aug. 5, 2025 Council meeting (1,076, 380, 700 and 715 acres) · City Land Movement Updates (checked Nov. 5, 2026).

The ground here is naturally primed to slide: weak, seaward-tilted layers of Altamira Shale containing bentonite clay that turns slippery when wet. The modern movement began in 1956, when fill placed during the Crenshaw Boulevard extension reactivated part of the ancient slide. The dramatic 2023–24 acceleration was driven by two consecutive record-wet winters that raised groundwater deep inside the slide mass. Water is the whole story, whatever the pipe: broken buried water lines — mains and private services snapped repeatedly by the moving ground — leaked additional water into the slide during the acceleration, which is why Cal Water relocated much of the area's water system above ground in 2024, and why the response has focused on keeping water out (winterization, fissure filling) as much as pumping it out (dewatering).

A residents' lawsuit filed in August 2024 alleges that water from pipes, storm drains and other systems helped accelerate the slides; see Has anyone sued over the landslide?

Yes. It is moving far more slowly than at its 2024 peak, but the City's latest survey shows it speeding up again. In the City's early-October survey (September 3 to October 6, 2026; reported October 28, 2026), areas still moving inside the active landslide boundary averaged 1.05 inches per week, up 7.6% since the early-August survey. The Portuguese Bend Landslide averaged 0.88 inches per week (up 14.8% from September to October, after a 3.6% slowdown from August to September), and the Abalone Cove Landslide 1.36 (up 16.7%, after a 9.5% slowdown). The City's geologist attributes the increase largely to erosion at the landslide's toe from wave action, caused by extreme southerly swells during an unusually active hurricane season in the southeast Pacific. The City says the complex is still moving about 30% slower than a year earlier. The staff report for the November 4, 2026 Council meeting puts the Portuguese Bend Landslide's slowdown since just before the deep dewatering wells were installed at 91% (the City's September 9, 2026 update had said 92%); in July 2024, the peak month, the same report's figures had the Portuguese Bend Landslide averaging 11.02 inches per week and Abalone Cove 10.25.

Elsewhere in and around the complex: on January 17, 2025 the City reported no new movement in the Seaview and Portuguese Bend Beach Club neighborhoods in the previous three months, and in May 2025 SoCalGas reported no measurable movement there since February 2025. The staff report for the November 4, 2026 Council meeting says GPS points outside the mapped complex, including in the Seaview Tract, still show no measurable movement. The City's October 28, 2026 update said the Klondike Canyon Landslide "generally continued to see no measurable movement," the same words it used on September 9.

The surveyor's October 2026 GPS report and the City's contour map for the Oct. 6, 2026 survey (rates at individual monitoring points, not area averages) were posted on the City's survey page when we checked November 5, 2026; no newer survey had been posted. City staff repeated the early-October figures at the November 4, 2026 Council meeting, according to the City's November 5 weekly report. For the change from the early-August to the early-September survey, the City has given per-area figures only as percentage changes; as of November 5, 2026 we had found no City per-area rates in inches per week for the early-September survey. See Maps & Data for the per-area table.

Our landslide map shows how far each City GPS survey point moved in the newest full survey the City has posted (dates on the map), based on the surveyor's spreadsheet, with arrows for the direction and rings where the surveyor detected no movement.

Sources: City 2026 Community Updates Archive (Oct. 28, 2026 entry; Sept. 9, 2026 entry for the 92% figure) · staff report for the Nov. 4, 2026 Council meeting (Regular Business Item 3; a large PDF), pp. 14–16 · City 2025 updates archive (Jan. 17, 2025) · SoCalGas (May 22, 2025) · City Manager Weekly Administrative Report No. 26-44 (Nov. 5, 2026; a large PDF), pp. 4–5 · City Landslide Surveys and Mapping (checked Nov. 5, 2026).

Probably not entirely, but it can be slowed. Groundwater drives the movement, so the City's strategy is to pump water out and keep more from soaking in. Its deep dewatering wells have removed about 590 million gallons (1,813 acre-feet) since pumping began in September 2024, according to the City's November 5, 2026 weekly report, which says "Ten of the original 11 DDWs installed by the City remain in service" and "One DDW will start redrill this week." The October 28 weekly report had said nine of the original 11; the City has not explained the change, and the November 5 report gives no count of operating wells. City documents still differ on how many are running: the October 21 weekly report said eight of the nine were operating; the staff report for the November 4, 2026 Council meeting says seven of the nine were operational as of October 2026, with two recently redrilled wells offline for low production and under investigation (its well table is dated October 19); and the City's presentation at that meeting lists "8 Online" and "DDW-5 re-drill pending" (slide 2, marked as updated November 3). That slide's totals, 586 million gallons and 1,794 acre-feet, are not marked as updated and are lower than both weekly reports. Other measures include hydraugers (horizontal dewatering wells drilled to pull out water trapped deep underground), surface drainage, fissure filling and winterization. The City says all of its originally planned winterization measures were completed in the first week of October 2026, and that staff and the City's geologists are evaluating additional measures in anticipation of a strong rainy season; on October 6 the Council proclaimed a local emergency in anticipation of the 2026-2027 El Niño (Resolution No. 2026-78, adopted 5-0 according to the draft minutes). The City's October 28, 2026 update says the winterization measures held up well during recent rainfall, with no pump trucks needed on Palos Verdes Drive South. The staff report for the November 4, 2026 Council meeting says the Portuguese Bend Landslide is now moving 91% slower than just before the deep wells were installed (the City's September 9 update had said 92%); for the recent speedup, see Is the landslide still moving?

The longer-term Portuguese Bend Landslide Remediation Project was estimated at about $33 million in 2023. The City's current FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) application for the project totals $48.7 million (originally $40 million) and requires a 25% non-federal match; the City has committed $12.1 million toward that match if the grant is awarded. When we checked on October 29, 2026, the City's Grant Tracker listed the application as "Applied"; the staff report for the November 4, 2026 Council meeting lists the same application ($48,719,185 in all, $36,539,371 of it federal) as "Waitlisted." The City also describes a broader remediation plan estimated at about $150 million (August 2026). A staff report for the October 20, 2026 Council meeting sets City targets of starting construction by July 1, 2027 and finishing the three planned remediation construction projects by December 31, 2028; the City's quarterly Council goals update rates the landslide goal "At Risk, Ongoing" and says advancing the long-term mitigation project "remains highly dependent on securing grant funding." Details: our Oct. 13 entry.

An older example is next door. The Abalone Cove Landslide Abatement District (ACLAD), created under 1980 state legislation, says its dewatering wells have significantly lowered groundwater in and just upslope of the Abalone Cove Landslide, which "can halt or slow the movement except during periods of exceptional rainfall." Abalone Cove was still moving in the City's early-October 2026 survey (reported October 28, 2026), at an average of 1.36 inches per week, up 16.7% from September to October after a 9.5% slowdown from August to September. The staff report for the November 4 meeting says the Abalone Cove Landslide's fastest-moving area is its toe, at about 1.5 inches per week, and attributes that to toe erosion from wave action in September 2026.

Sources: City Land Movement Updates (FAQ on the remediation project) · City Manager Weekly Administrative Report No. 26-44 (Nov. 5, 2026; a large PDF), p. 24 · No. 26-43 (Oct. 28, 2026; a large PDF), p. 20 · No. 26-42 (Oct. 21, 2026) · No. 26-41 (Oct. 14, 2026) · No. 26-40 (Oct. 7, 2026) · City news release (Aug. 29, 2023) · City 2026 updates archive (Mar. 18, Aug. 26, Sept. 9 and Oct. 28, 2026) · staff report for the Nov. 4, 2026 Council meeting (Regular Business Item 3; a large PDF), pp. 15, 17–18 and 38 · City Public Works presentation, Nov. 4, 2026 Council meeting, Item 3 (PDF), slide 2 · Oct. 20, 2026 Council staff report (Consent Item G) · Q1 FY 2026-27 Council goals update (Oct. 20, 2026) · Draft minutes, Oct. 6, 2026 Council meeting · City Grant Tracker (checked Oct. 29, Nov. 5 and Nov. 6, 2026) · Abalone Cove Landslide Abatement District.

Palos Verdes Drive South runs through the landslide area. The City inspects and repairs it as needed, and it can close temporarily: it closed overnight in February 2026 for a City groundwater study, and it sometimes closes when it floods during storms. The City's October 14, 2026 weekly report says drainage improvements along the road near the former Wayfarers Chapel and near Klondike Canyon have been completed and will "reduce the risk of roadway closures during rain events." The City's October 28 weekly report says that in the week of October 18, when the area got about half an inch of rain, the new drainage worked as intended, with no pumping and no road closures, and its November 5 weekly report says that when about 0.9 inch of rain fell on the area the weekend of October 31, the drainage improvements "performed as intended and required no pumping operations or roadway closures." Check the City's Land Movement Updates page before you go. Motorcycles, bicycles and other one-, two- and three-wheeled vehicles are temporarily prohibited on a two-mile stretch of the road. On November 4, 2026 the City Council renewed that prohibition for another 60 days, according to the City's November 5 weekly report, which gives no new end date; the next renewal is tentatively December 1. Next check: the adopted resolution and the December 1 meeting. Check with the City before riding.

The City closed the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve on Sunday, November 1, 2026, after 0.35 inch of rain overnight, and reopened the trails the next day after inspections, according to its November 5 weekly report. When we checked on November 5, 2026, the City's trail conditions page said "Palos Verdes Nature Preserve is Open" and again listed the standing closures it had shown when we checked on October 29: Abalone Cove Beach, Sacred Cove Beach and all beach-access trails in the Abalone Cove Reserve, closed since July 9, 2024; the open space, trails, beach and archery range east of Inspiration Point, closed since September 27, 2024; and many trails in the Portuguese Bend Reserve, plus some in the Filiorum, Forrestal and Ocean Trails reserves. The City says the Preserve may close again after significant rain; check the page before you go. Obey posted closures: ground near fissures can be unstable even when it looks solid. Respect residents' privacy in affected neighborhoods.

Sources: City Land Movement Updates (road repairs and storm closures) · City Manager Weekly Administrative Report No. 26-37 (Sept. 16, 2026) · No. 26-41 (Oct. 14, 2026) · City 2026 updates archive (Feb. 2026 overnight survey closures) · City Manager Weekly Administrative Report No. 26-43 (Oct. 28, 2026; a large PDF), p. 20 · No. 26-44 (Nov. 5, 2026; a large PDF), pp. 5, 24, 43 and 51–52 · staff report for the Nov. 4, 2026 Council meeting (a large PDF), pp. 2 and 52 · City Trail Conditions & Alerts (checked Oct. 29, Nov. 1 and Nov. 5, 2026).

If the ground shifts suddenly on your property or the situation is urgent, call 911. If you feel unsafe, leave. The City asks residents to call 911 "for urgent matters or observation of any sudden shifts on your property."

For new cracks, doors or windows that start to jam, or to request an inspection, contact the City's Building and Safety Division at 310-544-5280 or BuildingSafety@RPVca.gov, and include photos. Warning signs the City lists (citing Ready.gov) include:

• doors or windows that stick or jam for the first time;
• new cracks in plaster, tile, brick or foundations;
• outside walls, walkways or stairs pulling away from the building;
• slowly widening cracks in the ground or pavement, or underground utility lines breaking;
• bulging ground at the base of a slope, or water breaking through the ground in new places;
• fences, retaining walls, utility poles or trees tilting or moving.

The City's geologist does not visit private property unless it is part of a development permit application. The City does not make referrals, but Building and Safety keeps a list of geotechnical engineers who work in the area, available on request.

For utility problems: if you suspect a gas leak, leave the area and, from a safe place, call SoCalGas at 1-800-427-2200. For a downed power line, leave the area and call 911, then SCE at 1-800-611-1911. Report water leaks to Cal Water at 855-RPV-LEAK (855-778-5325) and sewer overflows to the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts' 24-hour line, 562-437-6520. The full list is in the Resident Guide's who-to-call table and new-cracks checklist.

Sources: City Land Movement Updates (Stay Prepared tab and FAQ) · City Building & Safety Division · Ready.gov: Landslides.

The City and PVPready, the peninsula's emergency-preparedness site, define them this way:

• Evacuation Warning: start preparing to leave. In the City's words, "If you have animals, children, or need additional time evacuating, this is the time to leave." L.A. County advises moving horses and other large animals as soon as a warning is issued.
• Evacuation Order: leave immediately. Emergency responders have determined there is an imminent life-safety risk. L.A. County describes an order as a lawful order to leave now, and the area is closed to the public.

You don't have to wait for either: the City says that if you feel unsafe, leave. Look up your zone on PVPready's Find Your Zone map, see PVPready's Prepare page for go-bags, the "Five P's" (people, pets, pills, photos, papers) and a separate bag for pets, and sign up for Alert SouthBay emergency alerts by texting ALERTRPV to 888-777 or registering at AlertSouthBay.com. This site does not report live alert status; check PVPready.gov and Alert SouthBay for any current warnings or orders. More in the Resident Guide's evacuation section.

Sources: City Land Movement Updates · PVPready: Prepare · L.A. County Emergency · L.A. County: Horses and large animals.

Almost never. Standard California policies exclude earth movement — cracking, sinking, shifting, expanding land — and the FAIR Plan excludes landslide too. Specialty "difference-in-conditions" policies can sometimes include it; availability and cost in the slide area are challenging (in a 2024 city survey of 62 landslide-area residents, none had coverage). On September 1, 2026 the City Council approved formally asking the state to create a landslide insurance program modeled on the California Earthquake Authority / FAIR Plan — track that push in Latest Updates. Meanwhile, talk to a licensed broker, and see the Resident Guide's insurance section.

If your insurer drops or won't renew your policy, the City points residents to United Policyholders, a nonprofit that publishes a California guide for dropped policyholders and runs an Ask an Expert forum where its staff and volunteer experts answer insurance questions. The California Department of Insurance can be reached at 1-800-927-4357.

Sources: City Tax Relief and Insurance Resources · City Land Movement Updates · United Policyholders.

No. The September 27, 2025 collapse of a ~300–400-foot section of coastal bluff off Marguerite Drive happened on the peninsula's west side, roughly 4 miles from the Greater Portuguese Bend complex, and was subsequently assessed as static. It affected four backyards along the bluff between Christmas Tree Cove and Vista Point but threatened no homes, and it is not part of the 700-acre active complex, its maps, or its buyout counts. Our September 27, 2025 update covers the Marguerite event.

If you're researching a specific property, don't conflate the two. Whether a parcel falls under the City's landslide construction rules is shown on the City's official Landslide Area Development Regulations boundary map (PDF, 3.8 MB; see how to check a property), while the City's survey maps show where and how fast the ground is moving. For every distinct slide on the peninsula — Flying Triangle, Peartree Lane, Sunken City, White Point, and more — see our Peninsula-Wide Landslides page, which has its own Marguerite Drive section. The peninsula's coastal bluffs can fail in isolated spots anywhere; that's a different (and much more localized) hazard than the moving landslide complex this site tracks.

The City's Voluntary Property Buyout Program offers owners of qualifying damaged homes a payment based on each home's appraised fair market value as of December 1, 2022, before the acceleration, minus the owner's 25% cost share explained below. It is funded by FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) grants, which the City administers with the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), and the City has hired the consultant Black & Veatch to run the program. The City says that once a property is acquired, its structures will be demolished and the land permanently deed-restricted as open space.

How the cost share works: FEMA pays 75% of a "total fair market value" that includes the home's appraised value plus appraisal, title search, lot survey (if needed), real estate transaction, closing, demolition, environmental and hazardous-waste remediation, and site-restoration costs. The owner's 25% share of that whole package is deducted from the final payment at closing, except for certain in-kind costs the City covers (estimated at about $330,000 across the whole program). Mortgage balances or liens are also deducted from the purchase price, other assistance such as insurance payouts may reduce the final amount, and owners pay their own moving and relocation costs. The City's buyout page has a worked example: for a hypothetical home appraised at $3,500,000 with about $180,000 in other eligible costs, the owner receives $2,580,000 at closing.

Status: Applications closed November 8, 2024, with 85 eligible applications received. 27 homes have been selected: 22 in Round 1 and 5 in Round 2. On October 14, 2026, the City announced that it has been formally awarded over $54 million in FEMA grants for those two rounds, after a federal regulatory review period, allowing it to begin the process of acquiring the 27 properties. (FEMA had announced the approval on September 29. The City was selected for $42 million for Round 1 in October 2024 and $10.16 million for Round 2 in February 2026, $52.16 million together.) The staff report for the November 4, 2026 Council meeting breaks the award down as $54,024,898: $52,145,417 to acquire the 27 properties and $1,879,481 for subrecipient management costs. It also says Round 1's 22 properties are 16 red-tagged and 6 yellow-tagged, and Round 2's five are 1 red-tagged and 4 yellow-tagged. Because federal grants operate on a reimbursement basis, the City says it will buy homes a few at a time, starting "in the coming months," and that acquiring all 27 properties and demolishing the homes on them will likely take a few years. The City's consultant, Black & Veatch, will contact selected owners directly to finalize appraisal information and forms, coordinate escrow and manage closing. As of November 6, 2026, no purchases had been reported. Staff had recommended that the Council formally accept and appropriate the grant money at its November 4, 2026 meeting. In the City's RPVtv video update posted Nov. 5, 2026, City Manager Ara Mihranian says the Council approved nearly $56 million in federal grant funding on Nov. 4: more than $54 million for the voluntary buyout of 27 red- and yellow-tagged properties and $1.9 million for permanent power to the deep dewatering wells. Patch reported on Nov. 6 that the vote was 5-0; the City's video update and its Nov. 5 weekly report do not mention a vote count, and the minutes had not been posted as of Nov. 6, 2026. The City's presentation at the November 4 meeting says an orientation meeting for the pre-selected Round 1 properties was held October 29. Next check: the City's buyout page, for the first purchases, and the Nov. 4 minutes, for the formal record of the vote. The City's Homeowner Handbook (dated Aug. 13, 2026) says closing is estimated to take 30 to 90 days after the final offer is signed, and that owners must sign a release of liability, withdrawing landslide-related claims against the City, before closing. If the City hasn't contacted you about an appraisal, your property is not among the 27. Waitlisted applicants keep their priority rank, and if a selected owner withdraws, the next property advances based on risk priority. The City's $19 million Round 3 application, which could buy about 8 more homes, "remains waitlisted." Details: our Oct. 14 entry, our entry on the Nov. 4 agenda and our Nov. 4 meeting entry.

The wait still carries real risk for those selected: the City expects purchases to stretch over a few years, homes in active foreclosure proceedings are ineligible, and LAist has reported on selected owners fighting to keep mortgages current on unlivable homes while they wait. The City has not published the selected addresses; our acquisition tracker lists each property once its purchase becomes public. More in the Resident Guide's financial help section; track progress in Latest Updates.

Sources: City Voluntary Property Buyout Program (Oct. 14, 2026 update; checked Nov. 5 and Nov. 6, 2026) · staff report for the Nov. 4, 2026 Council meeting (Regular Business Item 3; a large PDF), pp. 1–2 and 36–37 · City Manager Weekly Administrative Report No. 26-44 (Nov. 5, 2026; a large PDF), pp. 5–6 · City Public Works presentation, Nov. 4, 2026 Council meeting, Item 3 (PDF), slide 20 · RPVtv City Council Update, Nov. 4, 2026 (City video, posted Nov. 5) · Patch (Nov. 6, 2026) · Nov. 4, 2026 meeting video and index (no minutes posted as of Nov. 6, 2026) · FEMA release R9-NR-26-36 (Sept. 29, 2026) · City buyout FAQ · LAist (Dec. 16, 2025).

What the tags mean: City building inspectors decide whether a structure is safe to live in. Reasons for a red tag include foundation problems, inadequate or blocked exits, severe structural damage, utility failures and gas leaks. A yellow tag marks damage in one area of the home, which may be restricted from use while the rest stays accessible.

Tagged homes: In March 2025 the City reported that the L.A. County Assessor's Office had proactively started reassessing properties the City had red- or yellow-tagged for land movement, whether or not the owners applied for relief, and that those owners could expect a Notice of Assessed Value Change with an adjusted tax bill.

Two kinds of relief have filing deadlines:

• Misfortune & Calamity: file form ADS-820 with the Assessor within 12 months of the date the property was damaged; the loss must exceed $10,000 of current market value. If your home is damaged this winter, note the date. Questions: relief@assessor.lacounty.gov or (213) 974-8658.
• Decline-in-Value (Prop 8): owners who believe their home's market value fell below its assessed value may file form RP-87 during the annual filing period, July 2 through November 30. An application is valid if postmarked by November 30 (or the next business day if November 30 falls on a weekend or holiday). A reduction is temporary: as market values recover, the tax bill can rise by more than 2% a year.

Details in the Resident Guide's property-tax section.

Sources: L.A. County Assessor: Misfortune & Calamity · L.A. County Assessor: Decline-in-Value · City Tax Relief and Insurance Resources (Mar. 14, 2025 update) · City Land Movement Updates (tag definitions).

Repair and stabilize, yes — build new, no. A city urgency ordinance adopted in September 2024 streamlines approvals for stabilizing and re-leveling homes — leveling systems, alternative foundations such as I-beams, and temporary modular housing during repairs — measures many owners have used to keep houses livable on moving ground. The City said the Council would consider renewing it on August 4, 2026 for two more years, through December 31, 2028. The official minutes of that meeting record that the Council adopted Urgency Ordinance No. 700U, 5-0, extending those rules; the minutes do not state the new end date, and as of November 5, 2026 the City's Home Stabilization page still said temporary solutions are permitted through December 31, 2026 unless extended by the Council. Confirm the current end date with the City's Planning Division, which the Home Stabilization page names for questions (310-544-5228 or Planning@rpvca.gov), or with Building & Safety (310-544-5280). Separately, Ordinance 692, adopted August 19, 2025 and effective September 18, 2025, permanently bans new residential construction in the landslide area, including home additions. Owners may replace, restore and repair development within its existing footprint with a Landslide Exception Permit. To check whether a property is covered, see the next question.

Start with the City's Building & Safety Division (310-544-5280) and the Resident Guide's repairs section.

Sources: City Landslide Area Development Regulations (Ordinance 692) · City Building & Safety Division · City Home Stabilization page (checked Nov. 5, 2026) · City 2026 updates archive (July 29, 2026) · City Weekly Administrative Report No. 26-31 (Aug. 5, 2026) · Official minutes, Aug. 4, 2026 Council meeting.

Check the City's official Landslide Area Development Regulations boundary map (PDF, 3.8 MB; zoom in to see streets and lot lines). Properties inside the boundary are subject to the landslide area development regulations in Municipal Code Chapter 15.20, including Ordinance 692's ban on new homes and additions. The City also links a Landslide Area Map Address Search, an online map of the Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex that can be searched by address; its disclaimer says it is for general information and was not prepared for legal, engineering or surveying purposes. Confirm a specific parcel's status with the City at landmovement@rpvca.gov or with Building & Safety (310-544-5280).

• Split parcels: if the boundary line crosses a parcel, only the part inside the boundary is subject to the regulations.
• 2025 boundary change: the updated boundary added eight parcels that were not under the 1978 or 2023 moratoriums (seven in Seaview and one in the Portuguese Bend Beach Club), and removed a strip of cliffside lots south of Seacove Drive, which lie outside the Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex.
• Exclusions: owners can apply to have a parcel excluded under Municipal Code section 15.20.100; the City says the submittal criteria and findings are strict and include a safety threshold.

The regulation boundary is a legal line, not a movement map, and it says nothing about buyout status (the City has not published selected addresses; see our acquisition tracker). For how fast the ground is moving, use the City's survey maps; for evacuation zones, use PVPready's Find Your Zone.

Sources: City Landslide Area Development Regulations · City Land Movement Updates (map links).

It depends on the neighborhood. The most recent official status we found (as of November 5, 2026) is in the City's staff report for the November 4, 2026 Council meeting (Regular Business Item 3; a large PDF, p. 25), which is linked from the October 28, 2026 entry in the City's 2026 Community Updates Archive; the City's presentation at that meeting repeats it (slide 18). Older sources are dated where they are used.

• Seaview and the Portuguese Bend Beach Club, power: in January 2025 SCE announced a plan to provisionally re-energize up to 76 customers in select portions of these two neighborhoods, and it began re-energizing homes in February 2025. Homes had to pass City electrical and structural inspections and get a permit for any self-generation (solar, batteries or generators); red-tagged properties were not considered. As of the staff report for the November 4 meeting, SCE had re-energized 84 homes there, plus 2 meters for Klondike Canyon district dewatering wells, and 7 homes remained without power; SCE will reconnect them once they pass electrical inspection or receive their net energy metering permission to operate (NEM-PTO) from SCE.
• Seaview and the Beach Club, gas: SoCalGas began restoring gas to Seaview homes that wanted to reconnect on July 10, 2025. Its landslide page, still last updated October 2, 2025 when we checked November 5, 2026, says it has restored all Seaview homes that are ready and whose owners wanted service, and that Beach Club infrastructure work was continuing. The staff report for the November 4 meeting reports no new SoCalGas updates and says homes in both neighborhoods that have taken the necessary steps may ask SoCalGas to restore service.
• Portuguese Bend Community Association (PBCA) neighborhood: still without electricity, as it has been since September 2024, and without gas since SoCalGas shut off service to about 135 homes in late July 2024. The staff report for the November 4 meeting says there is "no indication" when power will be restored in the PBCA, and likewise no indication for gas service.

What SCE is waiting for: the City says SCE has stated that "a continued and sustained reduction in land movement near its electrical infrastructure to less than 1 inch per week" would be needed before it would consider re-energizing the Portuguese Bend area. SCE's test is about movement near its own lines, not the City's area-wide survey averages. In May 2025 SCE also said it would evaluate next steps once movement is closer to pre-2023 levels. In an October 13, 2026 letter to the City Manager, published with the staff report for the November 4 meeting (Attachment U), SCE said land movement in the Portuguese Bend area "continues to exceed the one inch/week safety threshold," that, with added risk from the El Niño forecast for this winter, current conditions do not allow safe re-energization, and that it will keep its threshold of less than 1 inch per week. It also declined to commit to engineering and design work before that threshold is met. The letter does not say which measurements SCE used, and it was written before the City's October 28 survey figures.

City–SCE talks: the September 15 report says the City Manager wrote SCE's president and CEO in August 2026 asking to meet in person to reconsider the threshold for restoring power in the PBCA, and that one of two meetings was tentatively set for September 14. The staff report for the November 4 meeting does not mention that meeting. It says a meeting with SCE's chief operating officer was scheduled for October 30, that SCE has said it is unable to consider the City's requests to adjust the PBCA threshold or to begin engineering and design of a circuit for the City's landslide mitigation projects, and that staff intended to discuss the requests and SCE's response at the October 30 meeting. As of November 5, 2026, neither the City's written updates nor SCE's pages had reported the outcome of that meeting: the City's November 5 weekly report does not mention it, and the City's presentation at the November 4 Council meeting lists the meeting only by its purpose, to discuss the City's request to adjust the threshold for restoring power in the PBCA and to begin engineering and design for its landslide mitigation projects (slide 18). Next check: the November 17 SCE item and the City's November 12 weekly report. The tentative agendas in the City Manager's November 5 weekly report (No. 26-44) still list "Update from SCE regarding outages and improvements to infrastructure" for the November 17, 2026 Council meeting; the title does not say whether it will cover the PBCA. An earlier SCE item, at the Council's Sept. 15, 2026 meeting, was a status report on power outages in the Grandview Estates, Grandpoint Lane and Rolling Riviera neighborhoods; its staff report does not mention the landslide area, and according to the meeting's draft minutes SCE was invited but unable to attend.

For SCE service questions, call SCE Customer Service at 1-800-250-7339 (Monday–Friday 7 a.m.–7 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.–5 p.m.). Follow SCE's RPV page, SoCalGas's landslide page, and the Resident Guide's utilities section.

Sources: staff report for the Nov. 4, 2026 Council meeting (Regular Business Item 3; a large PDF), p. 25 and Attachment U (SCE letter, Oct. 13, 2026) · City Council staff report (Sept. 15, 2026) · City 2026 Community Updates Archive (Sept. 9 and Oct. 28, 2026 entries) · City Manager Weekly Administrative Report No. 26-44 (Nov. 5, 2026; a large PDF), p. 51 · City Public Works presentation, Nov. 4, 2026 Council meeting, Item 3 (PDF), slide 18 · No. 26-41 (Oct. 14, 2026) · City 2025 updates archive (Jan. 15, Feb. 14, July 17 and Nov. 5, 2025) · SoCalGas (update of Oct. 2, 2025; checked Nov. 5, 2026) · SCE updates page (May 19, 2025 entry; newest entry August 2026; checked Nov. 5, 2026) · SCE RPV page (checked Nov. 5, 2026) · City Land Movement Updates (checked Nov. 5, 2026) · Fox 11 (Sept. 8, 2024).

Lloyd Wright's landmark glass chapel closed in February 2024 as land movement warped its structures, and the chapel says its disassembly was completed in July 2024. Its May 2024 plan called for cataloguing each piece and moving the parts to a temporary safe location until they can be reassembled. In June 2025 the chapel announced a prospective new site at Battery Barnes, next to RPV City Hall, where it proposes a new chapel, visitor center, museum, archival center, café and gardens. In an October 29, 2026 letter to the National Park Service about deed restrictions on the Civic Center site (published in the City's November 5 weekly report), the City says that it, Wayfarers Chapel and the U.S. Coast Guard have held "preliminary discussions" about the possibility of reassembling the chapel on Coast Guard property at the western edge of the Civic Center. That would involve transferring the 3.9-acre Battery Barnes parcel from the Coast Guard to the City, followed by a potential lease of the land to the chapel. The chapel still calls the site "prospective." Follow the chapel's restoration page.

Sources: Wayfarers Chapel (June 17, 2025) · Wayfarers Chapel restoration page (May 13, 2024) · Wayfarers Chapel, Significant Dates · City weekly report No. 26-44 (Nov. 5, 2026; a large PDF), pp. 65–66 (City letter to the National Park Service, Oct. 29, 2026).

So far, mostly City money. The City said in April 2026 that it had received no financial assistance from state or federal agencies for its own landslide spending. As of September 25, 2026, we had found no report that FEMA had paid any of the large federal grants to the City: FEMA denied disaster aid, the buyout grants had been selected but no formal award had been announced (the City announced the award on October 14; its buyout page dates the award itself to September 2026; see below), the 2023 BRIC grant was never paid, and the main remediation grant was still an application. Congress has funded two smaller earmarks for the abatement districts (City documents list them as still pending with FEMA; see below), Los Angeles County has contributed, and in September 2026 the state announced $5 million. On October 14, 2026, the City announced that FEMA has formally awarded it more than $54 million for the buyouts and more than $1.9 million for permanent power for its deep dewatering wells (below). Awarded is not the same as paid: the City notes that federal grants operate on a reimbursement basis, and as of October 14 no money from either award had been reported paid. Staff had recommended that the Council formally accept and appropriate both awards, $55,964,462 in all, at its November 4, 2026 meeting. In the City's RPVtv video update posted Nov. 5, 2026, City Manager Ara Mihranian says the Council approved nearly $56 million in federal grant funding on Nov. 4: more than $54 million for the voluntary buyout of 27 red- and yellow-tagged properties and $1.9 million for permanent power to the deep dewatering wells. Patch reported on Nov. 6 that the vote was 5-0; the City's video update and its Nov. 5 weekly report do not mention a vote count, and the minutes had not been posted as of Nov. 6, 2026. Next check: the Nov. 4 minutes, for the formal record, and the City's next weekly report (due Thursday, November 12). The main pieces, with the date each figure was reported:

• City funds: the City's April 29, 2026 update said that, "with no financial assistance from state or federal agencies," it will have spent about $61.5 million of its own funds on the landslide from October 2022 through mid-2026 (revised from an earlier $64.4 million). In September 2026 the City told Patch it spent about $15 million in fiscal year 2025–26, about 38% of its roughly $40 million General Fund operating budget, and expects to have spent about $75 million from October 2022 through June 2027. The City's Measure RS page says the City "will have spent approximately $75,000,000 of its own funds over the last three-and-a-half years by June 2027." A staff report for the October 20, 2026 Council meeting projects the total estimated cost of the landslide complex from 2022 through June 30, 2027 at about $74.8 million, funded through multiple sources, including the City's CIP Fund and General Fund, Metro funds, ARPA, gas tax, federal grants and the County contributions listed below.
• FEMA disaster aid: FEMA denied $37.9 million the City requested for the costs of responding to the landslide emergency after the winter storms of late January and early February 2024, saying pre-existing conditions in the landslide make the City ineligible. FEMA rejected the City's first appeals in October 2025, and the City filed a final appeal to FEMA headquarters in early December 2025. The staff report for the November 4, 2026 Council meeting says the City has not received a response from FEMA headquarters on that appeal.
• Buyout grants: FEMA HMGP grants for Round 1 (selected for $42 million in October 2024) and Round 2 (selected for $10.16 million in February 2026). On October 14, 2026 the City announced it has been formally awarded over $54 million for the two rounds, covering 27 homes; FEMA had announced the approval on September 29. The staff report for the November 4, 2026 Council meeting breaks the award down as $54,024,898: $52,145,417 to acquire the 27 properties ($42,000,000 for Round 1 and $10,145,417 for Round 2) and $1,879,481 for subrecipient management costs. The City's Grant Tracker now lists both rounds as "Awarded" (checked October 29, 2026). City Manager Ara Mihranian says in the City's RPVtv video update posted Nov. 5, 2026 that on Nov. 4 the Council approved more than $54 million for the voluntary buyout of 27 red- and yellow-tagged properties, as part of nearly $56 million in federal grant funding (see above). Purchases are expected to start "in the coming months"; none had been reported as of November 6, 2026. The City says its $19 million Round 3 application "remains waitlisted." See How does the buyout program work?
• Remediation grants: in August 2023 FEMA named the City a recipient of a $23.3 million Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant for the Portuguese Bend Landslide Remediation Project. In May 2025 the City said the grant amount had been reduced to $16.4 million, because BRIC money cannot pay for emergency response work. None of it was paid: FEMA cancelled the BRIC program nationwide in April 2025 (CBS LA), and a federal judge ruled the cancellation unlawful in December 2025 (NAHB). As of October 29, 2026 the City's Grant Tracker still listed the award as "Selected," and we had not found an announcement that the money would be paid. The City has since submitted a $48.7 million FEMA HMGP application for the project (originally $40 million), meant to replace the BRIC grant; the Grant Tracker lists it as "Applied" (checked October 29, 2026). It requires a 25% non-federal match, and the City has committed $12.1 million toward that match if the grant is awarded. In an October 7, 2026 letter to Cal OES (attached to an October 20 Council staff report), the City describes the BRIC grant (BRIC 2022) as awarded in 2023 and says it has submitted a scope-of-work change and a time-extension request to FEMA. In June 2026 the City also applied for a separate $20 million BRIC grant for further landslide mitigation (Grant Tracker status "Applied" when checked Oct. 29, 2026). The staff report for the November 4, 2026 Council meeting gives different statuses in its grant table: BRIC 2022 ($23,329,850) "Awarded" and "Pending Re-Scope Approval," the $48.7 million HMGP application "Waitlisted," and the $20 million BRIC 2025 application "Submitted to FEMA." For design and permitting work on the BRIC 2022 Phase 2 and BRIC 2025 projects, staff recommended amending two existing agreements, paid from the City's capital (CIP) fund: Geo-Logic Associates (GLA), +$2,900,000 (to $3,125,000), for engineering design and construction documents, and LSA Associates, +$150,937 (to $501,937), for environmental permitting. The City's October 28 update calls them "two contracts totaling a combined over $3 million." For the October 20 meeting, staff had instead proposed a $6 million amendment with Geosyntec, saying that, at the direction of Cal OES and FEMA, they were not recommending GLA because it had helped develop the grant scopes; the Council deferred that item. The November 4 report says GLA's earlier role presents a potential conflict under federal procurement requirements, says staff would continue to pursue FEMA reimbursement, and compares GLA's $2.9 million fee with about $4 million in City costs under the Geosyntec proposal; one listed alternative (Alternative 6) would have let the City Manager approve the Geosyntec amendment instead, for Council ratification on November 17. Patch reported on Nov. 6 that the vote on the buyout and well-power grants was 5-0 and that the Council also approved the Geo-Logic Associates (+$2.9 million) and LSA Associates (+$150,937) amendments; the City's video update and its Nov. 5 weekly report do not mention a vote count or the amendments, and the minutes had not been posted as of Nov. 6, 2026. Next check: the Nov. 4 minutes, for the formal record of the Council's action on the amendments, or the City's next weekly report (due Thursday, November 12).
• Well power: on October 14, 2026 the City announced it has been formally awarded more than $1.9 million in FEMA Pre-Disaster Mitigation funding to install infrastructure for a permanent power source for its deep dewatering wells at the toe of the Portuguese Bend Landslide. The City says the money traces to Congressionally Directed Spending secured by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein in 2022, with the scope later revised to avoid overlap with other federal grants; it requires a $646,500 local match. The City says it spends about $53,000 a month to rent and fuel the generators that run the wells. The staff report for the November 4, 2026 Council meeting gives more detail: FEMA approved $1,939,564 on September 25, 2026 for permanent electrical infrastructure connecting five existing dewatering wells to the utility grid in place of temporary generators; the total project cost is $2,586,085, including a $646,521 non-federal match already included in the City's FY 2026–27 CIP budget; and the work must be finished by September 29, 2027 unless an extension is approved. The staff report says the project is under design by the City; neither it nor the City's October 14 announcement says when the wells will switch to grid power. City Manager Ara Mihranian says in the City's RPVtv video update posted Nov. 5, 2026 that on Nov. 4 the Council approved $1.9 million for permanent power to the deep dewatering wells, as part of nearly $56 million in federal grant funding. Next check: the Nov. 4 minutes, for the formal record.
• Congressional earmarks: the City's Grant Tracker (checked Oct. 29, 2026) lists fiscal 2026 community-project requests of $1,145,144 each for the Abalone Cove district (ACLAD, requested by Rep. Ted Lieu) and the Klondike Canyon district (KCLAD, requested by Rep. Lieu and Sen. Adam Schiff) as "funded by Congress." The Los Angeles Times reported on May 7, 2026 that this was the first federal money directed to the landslide area since the City's October 2023 emergency declaration. City documents now add detail: a staff report for the October 20, 2026 Council meeting says both districts assigned these FEMA Pre-Disaster Mitigation grants to the City in June 2026 and agreed in writing that the money be used to design the City's remediation project. It says the amounts "were previously reported for $1,145,144 each" and, based on FEMA's website, lists a federal share of about $1.12 million per grant; FEMA's June 22, 2026 release listed $1.1 million each and required applications before any award. The City's October 7, 2026 letter to Cal OES lists the grants as "applied for and are pending allocation," and the staff report for the November 4, 2026 Council meeting lists each as "In FEMA Review (Pending Award)." We have not found a report that the money has been awarded or paid out.
• Los Angeles County: the City's Grant Tracker lists three County contributions as awarded: $5 million through Supervisor Janice Hahn's office ($2.8 million in financial assistance grants for landslide-affected residents and $2.2 million for the City's landslide work), $2 million from the L.A. County Flood Control District, and $4 million from the L.A. County Sanitation Districts for stabilization work, including the deep dewatering wells. Patch notes that the Hahn package is separate from the new state $5 million.
• State: on September 21, 2026, Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi announced a $5 million state budget allocation for the City. His release says the money supports ongoing landslide mitigation and El Niño preparation and will help the City offset about $15 million in fiscal year 2025–26 costs; City officials told Patch the $5 million is for future landslide remediation efforts. The City's Grant Tracker lists the allocation as "Awarded" and describes it as "Greater Portuguese Bend deep dewatering wells winterization and stormwater intrusion improvements" (checked October 29, 2026). The staff report for the November 4, 2026 Council meeting says staff are working with the State Water Resources Control Board to determine whether the Geo-Logic Associates design costs described above are eligible for reimbursement from the $5 million.
• Grants being pursued: City staff said at the June 16, 2026 Council meeting that the City is pursuing grants totaling more than $136 million. The Daily Breeze reported that the City does not have the nearly $37 million in required non-federal matching funds in its budget or reserves (June 17, 2026), and repeated the $136 million figure on August 19, 2026. In early October 2026, before the October 9 federal deadline, the City applied for a $3 million federal PROTECT grant that would cover design costs for reconstructing and realigning a two-mile stretch of Palos Verdes Drive South, with no local match for the design work; the Council had authorized an application of up to $10 million on October 6, according to the draft minutes. The City estimates the whole road project, including construction, at $28 million. The Grant Tracker now lists the PROTECT application as "Applied" (checked October 29, 2026). The staff report for the November 4 meeting says the nine federal grants the City is pursuing for the buyouts and mitigation projects total $176,144,569 in estimated cost, with $36,900,079 in required non-federal match, and that the City does not have the budget or reserves for all of the match. The City's Grant Tracker and our grants table list each application and its status.
• Long-term need: the City estimates its comprehensive landslide remediation plan at about $150 million (August 2026), nearly four times its roughly $40 million annual General Fund operating budget.
• Local sources: property owners pay assessments within the Abalone Cove and Klondike Canyon landslide abatement districts (ACLAD and KCLAD; see Meetings). Measure RS, on the November 3, 2026 ballot, asked voters whether to raise the City's hotel tax from 10% to 13%. In unofficial L.A. County Registrar results as of Nov. 6, 2026, 4:37 p.m., Measure RS had 75.14% yes (12,060 votes) and 24.86% no (3,989); it needs a simple majority, and counting continues until the results are certified (details). The City describes it as a general tax projected to bring in about $2.2 million a year for the General Fund; the ballot question lists landslides among its purposes, along with general City services (City measure page). PVLandslide.com does not endorse candidates or take positions on ballot measures. On July 7, 2026 the City Council voted to continue the process of forming a third Geological Hazard Abatement District (GHAD) for the Portuguese Bend Landslide; the City called this a first step and said further Council direction and public input will be needed. The City describes GHADs as separate government agencies from the City. The consultant agreement, originally targeted for September 2026, was not on the Council's tentative agendas through March 16, 2027, according to the City Manager's November 5 weekly report (No. 26-44).

Sources: City 2026 updates archive (Mar. 18, Apr. 29, June 11 and Aug. 26, 2026) · City 2025 updates archive (May 2, Aug. 15, Oct. 15 and Dec. 10, 2025) · City news release (Aug. 29, 2023) · CBS LA (July 24, 2025) · NAHB (Dec. 12, 2025) · FEMA release R9-NR-26-36 (Sept. 29, 2026) · City buyout page (Oct. 14, 2026 update; checked Nov. 5 and Nov. 6, 2026) · City 2026 Community Updates Archive (Oct. 14, 2026 entry: well-power and PROTECT grants; Oct. 28, 2026 entry) · staff report for the Nov. 4, 2026 Council meeting (Regular Business Item 3; a large PDF), pp. 1–2, 8, 34, 37–40, 56 and 59 · RPVtv City Council Update, Nov. 4, 2026 (City video, posted Nov. 5) · Patch (Nov. 6, 2026) · Nov. 4, 2026 meeting video and index (no minutes posted as of Nov. 6, 2026) · Oct. 20, 2026 Council staff report (Consent Item G), with the City's Oct. 7, 2026 letter to Cal OES · Draft minutes, Oct. 6, 2026 Council meeting · FEMA release R9-NR-26-17 (June 22, 2026) · Los Angeles Times (May 7, 2026) · City Grant Tracker (checked Oct. 29, Nov. 5 and Nov. 6, 2026) · City Measure RS page (checked Nov. 5, 2026) · L.A. County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, unofficial results (as of Nov. 6, 2026, 4:37 p.m.) · Assemblymember Muratsuchi (Sept. 21, 2026) · Patch (Sept. 22, 2026) · Daily Breeze (June 17, 2026) · Daily Breeze (Aug. 19, 2026) · Weekly Administrative Report No. 26-27 (July 8, 2026) · No. 26-38 (Sept. 23, 2026) · No. 26-39 (Sept. 30, 2026) · No. 26-41 (Oct. 14, 2026) · No. 26-44 (Nov. 5, 2026; a large PDF), pp. 5–6 and 51–54 · Draft minutes, Oct. 20, 2026 Council meeting.

Yes. In August 2024 a group of residents (sixteen, according to KNX News) sued California Water Service Company, the City of Rancho Palos Verdes, the City of Rolling Hills, Los Angeles County, the Klondike Canyon Geologic Hazard Abatement District (commonly called KCLAD), Doty Bros Equipment Co. and the Rolling Hills Community Association in Los Angeles Superior Court: Connie Andersen et al. v. California Water Service Company et al., Case No. 24STCV20953.

According to the plaintiffs' law firm, the suit claims inverse condemnation, negligence and dangerous condition of property, among other things. It alleges that water from several sources, including ruptured pipes that took too long to shut off, inadequate private storm drains in the Rolling Hills community, and County flood-control and sewer systems, oversaturated the ground and accelerated the landslides, including the Klondike Canyon Landslide. It also alleges that the Klondike Canyon district was never adequately funded, insured or staffed. These are the plaintiffs' allegations.

As of November 2025, Rancho Palos Verdes City Council minutes listed the case, along with several other suits, as pending litigation to which the City is a party. We could not confirm the case's current status; you can look it up by case number on the court's Civil Case Access page. If you are considering a claim of your own, talk to an attorney promptly, because legal claims have filing deadlines. Nothing on this site is legal advice.

Sources: Plaintiffs' law firm via PR Newswire (Aug. 23, 2024) · Patch (Aug. 22, 2024) · KNX News (Aug. 23, 2024) · RPV City Council minutes (Nov. 4, 2025).

The City of Rancho Palos Verdes' Land Movement Updates page and City Council staff reports are the authoritative sources, backed by contractor GPS surveys. NASA/JPL and the California Geological Survey provide independent scientific measurement. This site organizes all of it — see Reports & Documents — but for time-sensitive decisions, always confirm with the official source.

Send documents, meeting notes, photos, corrections, or tips through the contact form. If you live in the area, attending City Council and district meetings — and speaking during public comment — is the most direct way to shape the response.