The deep landslides beneath the multimillion-dollar homes in Rancho Palos Verdes moved at an almost glacial pace, until they didn’t.
This affluent coastal city in Southern California, around 30 miles south of Los Angeles, has long enticed people with its Pacific Ocean views and lush greenery. But it sits atop a complex of slow-moving landslides that have been active since the 1950s, causing the land to shift by roughly a few feet a year. Recently, after intense winter rain, the pace and scale of movement has increased.
Last weekend, a drastic acceleration brought devastating consequences.
Homes now lie sprawled unevenly across distorted ground, roads have buckled and power has been shut off to more than 200 households. On Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in the city.
The sight of luxurious, ocean-front houses teetering precariously over cliff tops or part-swallowed by the ground is not unfamiliar in this part of the US. Landslides destroy homes, take lives and leave communities fearing for their future.
But scientists warn they are set to become more frequent as the climate crisis fuels heavier rainfall and more powerful storms, reshaping landscapes.
Severe landslide damage on Dauntless Drive near the Portuguese Bend Community, Rancho Palos Verdes, on September 1. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)
Landslides depend on three factors: the slope, the rock type and the climate, said Alexander Handwerger, a landslide scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Rancho Palos Verdes sits on top of a volcanic ash bed, laid down about 10 to 15 million years ago, that slopes down to the Pacific shoreline.
“It has weathered to a type of clay mineral that can expand and get slippery when it gets wet,” said Gary Griggs, distinguished professor of earth and planetary sciences at the University of California Santa Cruz.
A variety of factors can trigger landslides, including earthquakes and human activities. But rainfall is one of the most common.
As it rains, water seeps into the ground, percolating into the layers below. There, it can reduce the suction and friction holding together grains of soil or rock, causing the ground to weaken and shift.
Slopes are always trying to reach a stable angle, which depends on what kind of climate they are in, said Dave Petley, an earth scientist at the University of Hull in England. If the climate changes, and rainfall becomes heavier, the slope “might now be too steep to be stable, so it will suffer a landslide or a series of landslides to find a new, stable angle,” he told CNN.
In California the changing climate is forcing the landscape to respond.
For the past two years, atmospheric rivers — long plumes of water in the sky that sweep in from the tropics — have lashed the state with rain.
This February, an atmospheric river dumped record amounts of rain across southern California, triggering hundreds of mudslides and leaving at least nine people dead.
Rain ate away at cliffs; one stark image shows a small cluster of mansions in Dana Point perilously close to tumbling onto the rubble-strewn beach below.
Scientists have found clear links between the climate crisis and heavier rain. A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, meaning more intense rain or snow when it falls, and hotter oceans fuel more powerful storms.
In California, climate projections suggest the state will experience less frequent but more intense rainfall in the future, especially from atmospheric rivers, which are expected to become more potent as the world warms.
The risk for landslides is clear, said Handwerger, who published a study on the topic in 2022. “We’ve looked all across the state, and we see that in years that are wetter than average, the landslides speed up.”
A firefighter stands on the roof of a house submerged in mud and rocks after a landslide in Montecito, California, in 2018. (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP via CNN Newsource)
The climate crisis raises other landslide risks too. Sea level rise and storm surge are eating away at cliffs. Hotter, drier summers are increasing the frequency and severity of wildfires, leaving the landscape vulnerable to mudslides, Griggs said.
The 2018 mudflows that tore through Montecito, killing 23 people, followed the Thomas Fire, at the time the largest wildfire in California’s history, which incinerated trees and plants.
Landslides are of course a global phenomenon, and scientists are identifying climate change-fueled landslide risks across the world.
Cyclone Gabriel in New Zealand triggered more than 140,000 mapped landslides — and possibly more than 800,000 in total, researchers believe.
In July, a landslide triggered by heavy monsoon rains in India’s southern state of Kerala killed at least 150 people. The rainfall was made at least 10 per cent heavier by the climate crisis, according to a scientific analysis.
Climate change is not the only factor increasing the likelihood of landslides; human behavior has an impact too.
Cutting into slopes to flatten areas for houses or roads can weaken them and mountain-sides, making both unstable, said Ugur Öztürk, a landslide scientist at the University of Potsdam and the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences.
As can adding too much water to the ground, Griggs said. In Southern California, “people wanted to pretend they lived in the tropics,” he said, “and planted a lot of landscaping that required lots of watering.”
Deforestation is another factor. Tree and plant roots hold the soil together and ripping them out can destabilize the ground, the University of Hull’s Petley said.
But, he added, “climate change is key.”
For those living in Rancho Palos Verdes, where the ground is now moving up to 12 inches a week, the future of their community hangs in the balance. It’s not clear when the movement will slow, or whether they can save their homes from being torn apart.
Sparks flew at a parliamentary committee Thursday as MPs questioned Canada's democratic institutions minister about a widely opposed provision in electoral reform legislation that seeks to delay the next fixed election date by one week.
Cuba's power grid was knocked out by Hurricane Rafael, which ripped across the country as a Category 3 storm. In western Cuba, it toppled buildings and pushed 50,000 people to find shelter elsewhere. Cubans were already enduring rolling blackouts due to energy shortages.
Three people have been charged in relation to One Direction singer Liam Payne's death in a fall from his Buenos Aires hotel balcony last month, Argentine authorities said on Thursday.
Canada's federal police force has been preparing for months on a contingency plan for a potential massive influx of migrants across the border following Trump's promise of 'mass deportations' of millions of undocumented immigrants in the U.S.
A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.
Recall notices have been issued for some Volkswagen models from 2006 to 2019 for airbag safety issues.
Canmore conservationist Karsten Heuer, who was a biologist, park ranger, author and activist, has died.
Celebrities from Hulk Hogan to Ariana Grande are sharing their reactions to the U.S. election, which will see Donald Trump return to the White House.
Three members of the Winnipeg Police Service have been charged with breach of trust, obstruction of justice and theft following a lengthy investigation
Walmart says a large bakery oven will be removed from the Halifax store where an employee died last month.
Two city councillors in Port Coquitlam, B.C., are facing calls to resign following comments they made referring to homeless people as 'people who don't want to work' and describing a local shelter as a 'government-funded crack house.'
An Indigenous dancer is searching for answers after she says her regalia was stolen.
Cuba's power grid was knocked out by Hurricane Rafael, which ripped across the country as a Category 3 storm. In western Cuba, it toppled buildings and pushed 50,000 people to find shelter elsewhere. Cubans were already enduring rolling blackouts due to energy shortages.
A B.C. man who crashed his car when he was high on meth, causing the death of his seven-year-old son and injuring his two other children and their mother, has been sentenced to six years in prison and banned from driving for 35 years.
Canada's federal police force has been preparing for months on a contingency plan for a potential massive influx of migrants across the border following Trump's promise of 'mass deportations' of millions of undocumented immigrants in the U.S.
A self-described Nazi became the first person in Australia to be sentenced to prison for performing an outlawed salute when he was ordered by a magistrate on Friday to spend one month behind bars.
President-elect Donald Trump has named Susie Wiles, the defacto manager of his victorious campaign, as his White House chief of staff, the first woman to hold the influential role.
Racist text messages invoking slavery raised alarm across the country this week after they were sent to Black men, women and students, including middle schoolers, prompting inquiries by the FBI and other agencies.
The fate of an Indiana man charged with murder in the 2017 killings of two teenage girls who vanished during an afternoon hike near their small hometown was in the hands of a jury Thursday.
President Vladimir Putin on Thursday congratulated Donald Trump on his election victory in the Russian leader's first public comment on the outcome of the U.S. balloting.
Forty-three monkeys escaped from a compound used for medical research in South Carolina but the nearby police chief said there is "almost no danger" to the public.
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said Thursday Canada will stand firm on its plan to rein in the number of newcomers entering the country, despite concerns that Donald Trump's re-election could spur an influx of migrants from the United States.
Retired Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie said Canada will soon face a rough ride from the U.S. for failing to meet its defence spending targets.
David Pugliese told the House of Commons security committee today he found it astonishing that none of the MPs on the committee challenged the allegations that he was a spy.
Hundreds of people will lose access to supervised consumption sites in Toronto when the province closes five of them next year, which will likely mean more public drug use and more overdoses, a new study suggests.
Following a particularly polarizing U.S. election that brought Donald Trump’s comeback to the presidency, some may be dealing with feelings of anxiety and stress, emotional wellness expert Michelle Jacob says.
A first-of-its-kind-study in B.C. is shedding much-needed light on how women are impacted by menopause – from the symptoms they suffer, to having their concerns dismissed by doctors, to paying out-of-pocket for effective treatments, to being fired from their jobs.
By ordering TikTok to shut down its Canadian operations but not banning the app, digital media experts say the federal government is sending mixed messages that make it too hard for the average user to decide whether they should remain on the platform.
An emperor penguin surprised locals when it appeared on a beach in Australia after making an epic journey of thousands of miles from its home in Antarctica.
New technology that was tested at the Assiniboine Park Zoo has arrived in Churchill to help track polar bears.
Country-folk singer William Prince will receive a top award from Canada's Walk of Fame.
Three people have been charged in relation to One Direction singer Liam Payne's death in a fall from his Buenos Aires hotel balcony last month, Argentine authorities said on Thursday.
Celebrities from Hulk Hogan to Ariana Grande are sharing their reactions to the U.S. election, which will see Donald Trump return to the White House.
Wednesday wasn't just a good day for Donald Trump. The wealth of the world's 10 richest people also soared by a record amount, according to Bloomberg's Billionaire Index.
The union representing more than 700 locked-out British Columbia port supervisors says talks are set to resume with employers.
Donald Trump's mandate to get tough on trade is expected to be stronger in his second term as U.S. president, posing different challenges for Canada than his first four years in the White House.
A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.
A social media influencer from Texas was disqualified from last weekend's New York City Marathon and banned from future competitions after he ran the race with a camera crew on e-bikes in tow.
As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.
The NCAA Division I Council on Thursday approved a rule allowing players with Canadian Hockey League experience to compete at U.S. colleges starting next season.
Their first road win of the season was a memorable one for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Malachi Corley's first NFL touchdown put him on highlight reels around the country and got social media buzzing because it didn't count.
Recall notices have been issued for some Volkswagen models from 2006 to 2019 for airbag safety issues.
Two suspects accused of selling stolen cars while employed at a legitimate car dealership in Toronto are now facing a combined 176 charges, police say.
As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.
A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts – not for themselves, but for those in need.
A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.
Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.
A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.
A Windsor teen’s social media post showing off a distinctive Windsor pizza topping has gone viral, drawing millions of views worldwide and sparking new curiosity about Windsor-style pizza.
Auston Matthews has come face to face with his look-alike. On Thursday, the Maple Leafs star met seven-year-old Grayson Joseph, who went viral for dressing up as an Auston Matthews hockey card.
A Halifax junk remover shares some of his company’s strangest discoveries.
When Leah arrived at work directing traffic around a construction site, she never expected to see a van painted in all sorts of bright colours, and covered in eclectic decorations, including a stuffed moose attached to its roof.
Vancouver fell short of meeting the province's housing targets for the last year, mostly due to a failure to meet the goal for affordable rentals, according to a report coming to city council.
Two city councillors in Port Coquitlam, B.C., are facing calls to resign following comments they made referring to homeless people as 'people who don't want to work' and describing a local shelter as a 'government-funded crack house.'
On the heels of president-elect Donald Trump's resounding win this week, B.C. Conservative Leader john Rustad says the incoming U.S. government could be positive for British Columbia.
A father has been charged with murder in connection with the death of his weeks-old baby in Richmond Hill.
Police have released video footage showing a suspect shooting a man inside a Markham garage in broad daylight on Wednesday afternoon.
A 13-year-old cyclist has died in hospital after being struck by a vehicle in Ajax on Thursday morning, police say.
A male was taken to hospital with serious injuries after being struck by a freight train in southwest Calgary on Thursday evening.
Increasing demand in Alberta for diagnostic imaging such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans means more appointments are being made months out, with some Albertans waiting more than a year to get a publicly funded scan.
Canmore conservationist Karsten Heuer, who was a biologist, park ranger, author and activist, has died.
City of Ottawa staff have selected two sites for the sprung structures that would be built to house and support asylum seekers.
A growing pile of garbage along Old Innes Road in Ottawa's east end has become an unsightly and smelly mess for local business owners who say they are tired of seeing the area used as an illegal dumping ground.
Fifteen people have been arrested during a police operation outside the Robert Guertin Centre in Gatineau, Que., where a homeless encampment has been located for months.
A 37-year-old man was seriously injured in a workplace accident in the West Island on Thursday.
The City of Montreal has unveiled its winter programming, featuring a lineup of festive events, outdoor activities, and the return of the New Year’s Eve celebration.
Residents in Montreal's Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighborhood blocked access to a container yard on Thursday morning, protesting Ray-Mont Logistics' plans to expand its operations close to their homes.
Firefighters were called to another fire at a home under construction early Thursday morning – the third in the past seven days.
Edmonton police are searching for the driver of a truck that fled the scene after a collision between two other vehicles on Yellowhead Trail.
Alberta’s finance minister has sacked the chief executive officer and entire board of directors of Alberta Investment Management Corp., the Crown corporation that manages pension and other funds for the province and handles more than $160 billion in assets.
A damaged crane will keep the MacDonald Bridge closed overnight on Thursday.
A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.
The Nova Scotia RCMP has now confirmed a man who killed his wife and then killed himself in Enfield, N.S., last month was a retired Mountie.
Three members of the Winnipeg Police Service have been charged with breach of trust, obstruction of justice and theft following a lengthy investigation
A judge is urging the Manitoba government to look at establishing a safe sobering centre in a northern community to prevent in-custody deaths of people detained due to intoxication.
A box of chocolates donated to a Brandon non-profit helping vulnerable people was found to have marijuana and meth inside.
Two more alleged victims of 49-year-old Ruben Manz, a Regina chiropractor facing seven counts of sexual assault, all from former patients, provided testimony on Thursday.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says a change-room ban policy he previously touted as his first order of business if re-elected is no longer a top priority.
An Indigenous dancer is searching for answers after she says her regalia was stolen.
Police say emergency services responded to an apartment building on Garment Street around 2:40 a.m. for a report of a stabbing.
The Brantford Police Service has arrested a woman believed to be responsible for a daytime robbery of a senior citizen.
The Ontario Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal by the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) in an attempt to prevent a former teacher’s defamation lawsuit from proceeding to trial.
An Indigenous dancer is searching for answers after she says her regalia was stolen.
It’s been eight years since Don Atchison’s 13-year run as mayor of Saskatoon ended, but the longest serving mayor in the city’s history is as passionate as ever, and he wants another crack at the job.
Workers at the Saskatoon Public Library are ready to hit the picket lines on Tuesday if they don’t see an offer that addresses their wage and safety concerns.
Dozens of popular brands of bread have been recalled in Canada after pieces of metal were discovered in some of the products.
Ontario's Special Investigation Unit has cleared police actions in a shootout with a murder suspect last June that left one police officer with bullet wounds to his neck.
A pedestrian trying to cross Great Northern Road was hit by a vehicle early Thursday morning in Sault Ste. Marie.
City council has forbidden the use of new federal funding to operate resting spaces for homeless Londoners if they’re located on the main street of a Business Improvement Area (BIA).
Two teenage girls in London were assaulted by a woman on school property on Wednesday, according to police. Around 11:25 a.m., officers responded to the call at Regina Mundi Catholic Highschool.
London’s Michael Morris is officially a multi-millionaire after cashing in his September 28 lottery ticket – he split the $5 million prize with another lucky winner and walked away $2.5 million richer.
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is actively investigating an officer-related shooting in Orillia.
A former Barrie landlord says she been scammed by a woman recently charged by provincial police with posing as a nurse after allegedly falsifying her credentials to work in long-term care homes.
As thousands of fans prepare for Taylor Swift's arrival in Toronto next week, local businesses are already noticing the positive impact of her Eras tour.
A number of small business owners along Tecumseh Road East in Windsor are frustrated after a recent string of copper wire thefts.
Residents and cyclists alike will begin to see work being done on Victoria Avenue. The city is creating a protected bike lane.
The Essex County Library is rolling out a program for people living with dementia.
The Bowen Road Cemetery in Nanaimo is home to 23 Commonwealth War Graves, which will soon be upright after lying flat for more than 60 years.
Inside Maxwell’s Auto Centre in Mill Bay is man who has his work cut out for him.
Mounties say a 35-year-old man has been sentenced to five years in prison for a hit-and-run crash that left two British Columbia police officers with life-altering injuries in 2019.
Police in Kamloops, B.C., are reminding parents and guardians to check their children's Halloween candy after receiving a report of a mother finding a razor blade in one of her daughter's treats.
More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.
Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.
Parks Canada has closed the east Rogers Pass area in British Columbia for avalanche control testing, saying it will cause Trans-Canada Highway closures too.
The Lethbridge Hurricanes turned a one-night homestand into a wild one-goal victory Wednesday night, defeating the Medicine Hat Tigers 7-6.
Lethbridge Polytechnic is opening its doors this week to prospective students and their families.
A new alliance of health-care workers, researchers and those with lived experience will launch at Queen’s Park on Friday.
A pedestrian trying to cross Great Northern Road was hit by a vehicle early Thursday morning in Sault Ste. Marie.
A northern Ontario man is charged with arson and is accused of pouring gasoline on a family member's house, threatening to burn it down.
A Memorial University scientist says the mysterious white blobs washing up on Newfoundland beaches are actually gobs of plastic -- and they need to be cleaned up.
School staff are being struck more often, students are fighting more frequently, and police are increasingly being called to school grounds, according to data compiled and released this week by the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers' Association.
Newfoundland and Labrador's auditor general has issued a warning about the province's financial position as the government announced it would finish the 2024-25 fiscal year with a higher-than-expected deficit.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
