A wealthy enclave in southern California that has been threatened by worsening landslides for years saw more of its land crumble this week.
Aerial photos showed parts of several backyards of large homes in Rancho Palos Verdes, a coastal community about 25 miles (40km) south of Los Angeles, had crumbled toward the ocean on Saturday evening.
There was no structural damage to homes and no injuries were reported, according to the city. It’s unclear what triggered the land movement.
City officials said the event was unrelated to the continual land movement known as the Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex, about 4 miles (6km) south-east.
The community sits atop an ancient landslide complex, which was activated in 1956, with the construction of a road. That landslide destroyed 140 homes.
The land has moved ever since. Homes have collapsed or been torn apart. Many residents have seen their gas and electricity intermittently cut off.
The landslides were long and slow-moving, but began to accelerate after several years of torrential rains.
Last year, a historic storm lead to shifts as great as 1ft a week. The community was left grappling with buckling streets, and sinking and cracking buildings. Hundreds of families were forced to leave their homes.
