Dozens of Rolling Hills residents are set to have their power and gas services shut off indefinitely due to the ongoing land movement in the area.
According to a webpage set up by the City of Rolling Hills, officials learned Saturday that some residents were being notified by Southern California Edison that their utilities would be turned off indefinitely by Wednesday at 6 p.m.
“This means affected residents’ power could be shut off at any time,” city officials said Saturday night, adding that utility companies are responsible for notifying customers of their service status.
Officials did confirm that the public safety facilities that serve the gated community, including Los Angeles County Fire Station 56, remain fully operational.
They also noted that they have been urging utility companies to come up with engineering solutions in the hopes of maintaining service while ensuring public safety.
-
One of many roads closed in the Portuguese Bend Community on the Rancho Palos Verdes were an evacuation warning has been issued due to electricity being cut on Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024 in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) -
Severe landslide damage on Dauntless Drive near the Portuguese Bend Community on the Rancho Palos Verdes were an evacuation warning has been issued due to electricity being cut on Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024 in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) -
A view of a damaged road amid land movement crisis on September 2, 2024 in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Southern California Edison shut off power to 140 homes in the Portuguese Bend neighborhood of Rancho Palos Verdes on September 1 as continuing land movement created unsafe conditions, triggering an evacuation warning. (Photo by Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images) -
Aerial view of the Rancho Palos Verdes on September 2, 2024 in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Southern California Edison shut off power to 140 homes in the Portuguese Bend neighborhood of Rancho Palos Verdes on September 1 as continuing land movement created unsafe conditions, triggering an evacuation warning. (Photo by Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images)
The shutoffs come as the nearby community of Rancho Palos Verdes continues to be hard hit by the landslide.
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for the area earlier this month, and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who made a stop in the affluent L.A. suburb on Friday, expressed his concerns about the situation, saying that “the mountain is moving and can’t be stopped, but [residents] need help from the government.”
The landslide has swallowed houses, damaged roadways and led to utility companies cutting off gas, and eventually power, to more than 130 Rancho Palos Verdes homes.
Resources for Rolling Hills residents affected by the shutoffs can be found here.