Every piece of the Palos Verdes landslide story, in one place.
An independent, neutral information hub on land movement across the Palos Verdes Peninsula, centered on the Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex.
Current Status at a Glance
Movement figures are the City's summary of its early-August 2026 survey, published September 9. The surveyor's September 2026 report is posted, but as of September 25, 2026 the City had not published per-area rates from it.
Power: The City says SCE has stated that "a continued and sustained reduction in land movement near its electrical infrastructure to less than 1 inch per week would be necessary to consider re-energizing the Portuguese Bend area" (City update, September 9, 2026). That test applies to movement near SCE's lines, not to the complex-wide average. In its own May 19, 2025 update, SCE also said that when movement is closer to pre-2023 levels, it will deploy engineering solutions to evaluate next steps for re-energization. As of the City's September 15, 2026 staff report, power had not been restored in the Portuguese Bend Community Association (PBCA) neighborhood, and the City said there was no indication when it would be. The same report says the City Manager wrote to SCE in August 2026 asking to meet to discuss the latest movement measurements and reconsider the threshold for restoring power in the PBCA; as of September 25, 2026 the City had not announced an outcome.
On September 15, 2026 the Council renewed the local emergency declarations and the PV Drive South bicycle and motorcycle ban for another 60 days. As of September 23, winterization work was complete in Seaview, Klondike Canyon and Kelvin Canyon and on the PV Drive South drainage near the former Wayfarers Chapel and Klondike Canyon; Upper Altamira and Portuguese canyons were expected to be finished by early October 2026. Governor Newsom proclaimed a statewide state of emergency for El Niño preparedness the week of September 21. See Maps & Data for detail, or verify at the source: City land movement updates · GPS surveys & contour maps · City staff report (Sept. 15, 2026) · City weekly report (Sept. 23, 2026) · SCE updates (May 19, 2025) · City buyout program.
What Is Happening in Palos Verdes?
The southern slope of the Palos Verdes Peninsula sits atop an ancient landslide complex covering roughly two square miles. Part of it — the Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex — has been moving since 1956, when construction fill reactivated the ancient slide. It includes four connected landslides: Portuguese Bend, Abalone Cove, Klondike Canyon, and the Beach Club slide.
After record rains in 2023 and 2024, movement accelerated dramatically — the City says it peaked at nearly 1 foot per week in summer 2024 — damaging hundreds of homes, breaking roads and utility lines, forcing power and gas shutoffs, and prompting the dismantling of the historic Wayfarers Chapel. Federal, state, and city agencies responded with emergency declarations, buyout programs, and a major dewatering effort. Movement has slowed significantly since the City's deep dewatering wells began pumping in September 2024.
New here? Start with these
- History & GeologyHow an ancient landslide reawakened in 1956 — and what makes this ground move.
- Latest UpdatesA running, dated record of movement data, city actions, and news.
- For ResidentsBuyouts, utilities, tax relief, permits, and emergency contacts.
- FAQShort answers to common questions about movement, power, buyouts, and who pays.
Affected by the landslide?
If you own property or live in the land movement area, these programs and protections may apply to you. The two property-tax relief options have filing deadlines, listed below.
- Voluntary Property Buyout ProgramVoluntary purchases of homes damaged or threatened by land movement, funded by FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and administered with Cal OES. As of the City's July 9, 2026 program update, 27 homes had been selected and none purchased; a Round 3 application (~8 more homes) awaits FEMA's decision.
- Property-tax relief & reassessmentOwners who believe their home's market value fell below its assessed value may file for a Decline-in-Value (Prop 8) review with the L.A. County Assessor. The annual filing period is July 2 through November 30; an application postmarked by November 30 (or the next business day if it falls on a weekend or holiday) counts. A reduction is temporary, and the tax bill could rise by more than 2% a year as values recover. For Misfortune & Calamity relief, file form ADS-820 within 12 months of the date of damage. In 2025 the Assessor began reassessing red- and yellow-tagged homes without waiting for owners to apply.
- Stabilization permitsA city urgency ordinance streamlines approvals to stabilize and re-level homes in the slide area.
- Utility statusTrack SCE, SoCalGas, and Cal Water service pages for the landslide area, including restorations.
Sources: City buyout program (July 9, 2026) · L.A. County Assessor: Decline-in-Value · L.A. County Assessor: disaster relief · City tax relief and insurance resources.
Open the Resident GuideEmergency contacts
Life-threatening emergency: call 911. The City also says to call 911 if you see any sudden shift on your property.
New cracks or ground movement (non-emergency): City Building & Safety, 310-544-5280 or BuildingSafety@RPVca.gov (include photos). More numbers for gas, water, power, and sewer.
Emergency alerts: text ALERTRPV to 888-777 or register at AlertSouthBay.com.
Evacuation zones: find your zone at PVPready.gov, and learn the difference between an evacuation warning and an evacuation order.
Disaster Distress Helpline: call or text 1-800-985-5990 (24/7 free counseling).
Source: City Land Movement Updates (checked September 25, 2026).
Help us keep this complete
Have a report, meeting notice, photo, or correction we should include? Send it to contact@pvlandslide.com.
The Landslide from Above
Explore the Hub
Latest Updates
Dated entries tracking survey results, dewatering progress, council decisions, utility restorations, and road work as they happen.
Read the updates →History & Geology
From the ancient slide and the 1956 reactivation to the 2023–24 acceleration: a full timeline plus the geology underneath it all.
Learn the history →Meetings & Agencies
City Council landslide updates, the monthly Landslide Complex Working Group, and the ACLAD and KCLAD abatement districts.
Track the meetings →Reports & Documents
Official land movement reports, GPS survey data, the remediation project EIR, NASA/JPL analyses, and key scientific papers.
Browse the documents →Maps & Data
Where the land is moving and how fast — city GPS surveys, NASA radar imagery, and landslide boundary maps explained.
See the data →Peninsula-Wide Landslides
Beyond Portuguese Bend: Flying Triangle, the Rolling Hills Estates collapse, Ocean Trails, Sunken City, White Point, and more — every peninsula slide, kept distinct.
See all the slides →For Residents
Everything affected homeowners need: the buyout program, financial assistance, utilities, tax relief, insurance realities, and permits.
Get resources →Key Facts
| Topic | Detail |
|---|---|
| Active area | The Greater Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex spans roughly 700 acres within a ~2-square-mile ancient landslide on the peninsula's south side. |
| Moving since | 1956 (Portuguese Bend), 1974 (Abalone Cove), ~1980 (Klondike Canyon). The 2023–24 storms triggered the fastest movement ever recorded here. |
| Peak movement | The City says movement peaked at nearly 1 foot per week in summer 2024; in its July 2024 survey, the Portuguese Bend Landslide averaged about 11 inches per week and Abalone Cove about 10. NASA radar flights between Sept. 18 and Oct. 17, 2024 measured up to about 4 inches per week in residential areas. |
| Homes affected | About 650 homes sit in the affected communities — Portuguese Bend, Seaview, the Portuguese Bend Beach Club, and neighboring areas. |
| Response | Local emergency declarations, deep dewatering wells, winterization, and FEMA-funded voluntary buyouts administered with Cal OES. For the long-term Portuguese Bend Landslide Remediation Project, which would fill fissures, add surface drainage, and install hydraugers (horizontal dewatering wells that pull out water trapped deep underground), the City has a pending $48.7M FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program application, with a $12.1M City match committed. The City estimates it will have spent about $61.5M of its own funds from October 2022 through mid-2026 (April 29, 2026 estimate; earlier reported as $64.4M). For FY 2025–26, a City spokesperson told Patch the City spent about $15M on the landslide (~38% of its roughly $40M General Fund operating budget); the City's September 15, 2026 staff report puts preliminary FY 2025–26 year-end landslide project expenditures at about $12.9M. The spokesperson also said the City expects to have spent roughly $75M from October 2022 through June 2027. On September 21, 2026, Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi announced a $5M state budget allocation for the City. His announcement says it will help the City offset about $15M in FY 2025–26 expenditures; a City spokesperson told Patch the money is for future landslide remediation efforts. Grants and applications. |
| On the ballot | November 3, 2026: Measure RS would raise the City's transient occupancy (hotel) tax, paid only by hotel and motel guests, from 10% to 13%. It is a general tax; the City estimates about $2.2M a year for its General Fund. The ballot question lists wildfire and disaster preparedness, roads and storm drains, sinkholes, landslides and land movement, and general City services. City details · City Attorney's impartial analysis (PDF). |
| Building rules | Since September 2025, Ordinance 692 permanently bans new residential construction (including additions) in the City's landslide regulation area — about 400 homes and 130 vacant lots — while allowing repair and replacement within existing footprints. See the boundary map and address search for which parcels are covered. |
| Latest survey | Movement has slowed sharply since late 2024. In the City's early-August 2026 survey (published September 9), the active-area average fell below 1 inch per week for the first time since October 2023. Klondike Canyon generally showed no measurable movement, and interior portions of Portuguese Bend and Abalone Cove still creep. In May 2025, SoCalGas reported no measurable movement in Seaview or the Beach Club since February 2025. |
Sources: City land movement updates (Sept. 9, 2026) · City 2026 updates archive (grant match, Mar. 18, 2026; spending estimate, Apr. 29, 2026; summer 2024 peak, Aug. 26, 2026) · City staff report (Sept. 15, 2026: July 2024 survey rates, FY 2025–26 expenditures) · City 2025 updates archive ($10M match, Aug. 2025) · City Grant Tracker · Asm. Muratsuchi (Sept. 21, 2026) · Patch (Sept. 22, 2026) · SoCalGas (May 22, 2025) · NASA Earth Observatory radar image (PIA26495). See Reports & Documents for more.