LOS ANGELES — The forces behind the relentless land movement plaguing Rancho Palos Verdes appear to be more complicated, and possibly more widespread, than originally thought — forcing the city to once again rethink how it can limit some the mounting damage.
Officials confirmed a very deep and active landslide plane — previously considered dormant — during exploratory drilling this summer, a discovery that has upended emergency efforts aimed at stabilizing the Portuguese Bend area.
“This is an unprecedented new scenario for the city, which means we have to change our strategy,” Ramzi Awwad, Rancho Palos Verdes’ public works director, said during a City Council meeting last week.
Again.
Officials also characterized the situation as unprecedented this winter, when, after back-to-back years of extremely wet rain seasons, land movement accelerated and expanded in ways never before seen: splitting homes’ walls, ruining roadways and repeatedly bursting underground utility lines.