The Palos Verdes Peninsula, a coastal region of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, has a long history of landslides and land movements.
[29] In 1978, residents noticed cracks on Palos Verdes Drive South, and the upper part of the slide may have started to shift.
[17][20] Renewed movement occurred in 1979,[32] and a Geologic Hazard Abatement Districts was created to study the Klondike Canyon landslides in 1982.
[5][35] On September 3, 2024, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in the City of Rancho Palos Verdes.
[35] In Summer 2024, City officials informed residents that they have identified additional land movements and landslides for Rancho Palos Verdes.
[31] In 2023, FEMA awarded a $23.3 million grant to Rancho Palos Verdes for the Portuguese Mud/Landslide Community Infrastructure Resilience Project .
[33] The RPV Landslide Complex Working Group meets virtually weekly to plan, coordinate, and implement actions for minimizing land movement and reducing community and property damages.
The members of this group include representatives of Abalone Cove Landslide Abatement Districts; California Water Service; City of Rolling Hills; Klondike Canyon Landslide Abatement Districts; Los Angeles County Department of Public Works Sanitary Sewer Maintenance; Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts; Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy; Portuguese Bend Beach Club Homeowners Association; Portuguese Bend Community Association; Rolling Hills Community Association; Seaview Residential Association; Southern California Gas Company; Southern California Edison; and area residents.
[39] Rollings Hills Estates is located on the northern side of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, an area that has a history of documented landslides.
[40][41] In 1997, employees in a Rolling Hills Estates office park witnessed crumbling walls and buckling sidewalks and had to be evacuated.