Palos Verdes Estates landslide: No injuries reported as cliff collapse forces beach closure

CNN
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No injuries were reported after part of a The cliff collapsed onto a beach Friday in the Palos Verdes Coastal Estates of Los Angeles County, the Southern California city said in a statement.

The landslide, at 10 a.m. local time, forced the beach to close and comes as an atmospheric river event – ​​or a plume of moisture from the Pacific Ocean. – is expected to bring heavy rain to the west coast over the weekend.

The powerful storm system could mean more danger in the region in the coming days, geologist Pat Abbott told CNN affiliate KCBS-TV.

“Sea levels are rising, gravity is pulling, and now when you talk about heavy rain coming this week, could that be a hazard? Oh definitely. It will make the problem worse,” Abbott said.

Abbott told the station that a big landslide is usually followed by “lots more landslides.” His advice to residents: “Stand back”.

KCBS-TV footage showed part of the hill collapsing onto the beach, releasing a massive cloud of dust as rocks and debris pushed a pickup truck across the sand. The van was unoccupied. At least one home was evacuated, the station reported.

City officials and geologists were reviewing “soil, rock and groundwater conditions to assess the safety of the area and nearby structures,” the statement said.

Most coastal communities will collect 1 to 3 inches of rain over the weekend, and parts of northern and central California could receive 3 to 5 inches of rain total. Coastal erosion and flooded roads are a major concern.