Drone video shows Southern California homes being swallowed by landslide
At least 12 homes in Rolling Hills Estates were evacuated after cracks were spotted forming on a property, but the number of affected homes has risen to 17 as more ground continues to give way.
California homes collapse into a canyon during a landslide
A local emergency has been declared in Rolling Hills Estates, California, after a landslide swallowed homes.
ROLLING HILLS ESTATES, Calif. – A neighborhood south of Los Angeles continues to slowly slip into a canyon, with authorities not sure when the destruction to homes will end.
On Sunday, the chair of the Executive Office of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors said 12 homes in Rolling Hills Estates were evacuated after cracks were spotted forming on a property, but the number of affected homes has risen to 17 as more ground continues to give way.
Drone video from Wednesday showed at least eight structures that had been destroyed and caution taped lined parts of the neighborhood to keep onlookers away from the danger.
The community is about 30 miles south of Los Angeles, and local authorities declared an emergency Tuesday evening in order to request state and federal assistance.
LANDSLIDE DESTROYS CALIFORNIA HOMES AS SIGNIFICANT GROUND MOVEMENT THREATS CONTINUE
![A landslide destroyed several homes in Rolling Hills Estates in California.]()
Image 1 of 6A landslide destroyed several homes in Rolling Hills Estates in California. ( )
![Drone video from Rolling Hills Estates]()
Image 2 of 6Drone video from Rolling Hills Estates showed several homes that have been damaged or destroyed by a landslide. ( )
![A landslide destroyed several homes in Rolling Hills Estates in California.]()
Image 3 of 6A landslide destroyed several homes in Rolling Hills Estates in California. ( )
![A landslide destroyed several homes in Rolling Hills Estates in California.]()
Image 4 of 6A landslide destroyed several homes in Rolling Hills Estates in California. (Image: Janice Hahn/ LA County Board of Supervisors) ( )
![Landslide threatens homes south of Los Angeles]()
Image 5 of 6Parts of homes in the Los Angeles County neighborhood were seen physically leaning. (Janice Hahn)
![Landslide threatens homes south of Los Angeles]()
Image 6 of 6Parts of homes in the Los Angeles County neighborhood were seen physically leaning. (Janice Hahn)
"The outpouring of support from our community has been amazing over these past few days, not just from within Rolling Hills Estates, but from our neighboring cities and our elected officials at the County and State levels," said Rolling Hills Estates Mayor Britt Huff. "It has been truly inspiring to see how everyone is pulling together to offer assistance, especially to our displaced residents and their families."
The U.S. Geological Survey reported landslides are common in the Golden State, especially after intense rainfall events and earthquakes.
The National Weather Service in Oxnard, California, has not reported any heavy rainfall or significant earthquakes occurring recently, which they say may indicate ground movements have been underway for a while.
7 WARNINGS SINGS A LANDSLIDE OR MUDSLIDE IS IMMINENT
Fortunately for some residents, there doesn’t appear to be rainfall in the forecast anytime soon. A ridge of high pressure has parked itself over the southwestern U.S., leading to a historic heat wave for inland communities and a stubborn marine layer along parts of the California coast.
City officials have not stated what they believed caused the ground to start giving way and said it’ll be up to geologists to determine the next steps.
Nationally, landslide losses exceed $2 billion annually and are responsible for dozens of deaths, according to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.