Living in the active landslide area of Rancho Palos Verdes
- A resident has lived in the Portuguese Bend landslide area for decades and has no plans to leave.
- The landslide was triggered in 1956 due to L.A. County's road extension efforts, despite prior geological knowledge.
- The community has adapted to the risks, and the resident believes solutions exist to manage the land movement.
A resident of the Portuguese Bend landslide area in Rancho Palos Verdes has lived there for decades and expresses no intention of leaving despite the risks. The property, purchased by their parents in 1948, is built on steel beams to accommodate the ongoing land movement, which was exacerbated by heavy rains over the past two years. The landslide was initially triggered in 1956 when L.A. County attempted to extend Crenshaw Boulevard, despite prior knowledge of the area's geological instability. The county failed to inform buyers about the dormant ancient landslide, leading to a community that has learned to adapt and remain resilient. The resident believes that with proper funding, solutions exist to mitigate the land movement, and they feel safer in their current location than in the more populated L.A. Basin, especially considering the overall seismic risks in California.