Newsom Slams Emergency – Power Cut

Gavin Newsom speaking at an outdoor rally podium — Photo: Jose Ivan Cazares / Shutterstock

California’s official record confirms the Palos Verdes coast sped up, tearing utilities and forcing emergency power and gas shutoffs.

Story Highlights

California declared an emergency as land movement surged in Rancho Palos Verdes.
Utility cuts hit hundreds of homes after lines and pipes were damaged.
City data later showed slowing to about an inch per week in some zones.
Dewatering wells have pumped out over half a billion gallons to fight slide pressure.

Emergency Declared After Slide Acceleration Damages Utilities

California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for Rancho Palos Verdes on September 3, 2024, after land movement accelerated following powerful storms and damaged key utilities. Officials reported disrupted services, broken lines, and hazards that triggered wide electricity and gas shutoffs. The move followed months of shifting ground across the Greater Portuguese Landslide Complex, a known unstable zone on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Residents faced evacuations, blocked roads, and daily uncertainty as the ground kept moving.

State and city briefings described units of the complex sliding several inches per week during peak periods, with some areas recorded at multiple inches weekly as the crisis unfolded. The City of Rancho Palos Verdes reported specific rates by sub-area, showing why emergency crews prioritized safety shutdowns while engineers mapped the most active zones. Local updates also documented widespread cracking and service breaks that made gas and power unsafe until the soil calmed and repairs could hold.

On-The-Ground Impact: Power Cuts, Evacuations, Daily Disruptions

Utility providers cut electricity and gas to safeguard neighborhoods after shifting soil bent poles, snapped lines, and stressed buried pipes. City records show hundreds of homes were affected, with residents relying on generators, bottled gas, and temporary setups while inspectors checked every segment before re-energizing. Road crews filled fissures and reset barriers. Homeowners documented doors jamming, walls cracking, and patios splitting. City leaders urged patience, warning that reactivation would be slow and stepwise to prevent fires, leaks, or electrocution hazards.

Engineers installed and ran deep dewatering wells to lower groundwater and release pressure within the slide mass. City figures show the wells removed more than half a billion gallons by late 2024, a major effort aimed at slowing movement and protecting roads and homes. The city also reported monthly generator costs near fifty thousand dollars to keep those wells operating. These moves match federal geological best practices, which list improved drainage as a key tool to stabilize slopes and reduce failure risk.

Measured Rates: From Peak Movement To Notable Slowdown In Some Zones

City surveys in mid to late 2024 showed the slide did not move at a single pace across the whole complex. Instead, different lobes shifted at different speeds, from several inches a week to lower rates as fall arrived. By early August, city survey data showed an average movement rate near one inch per week in active areas, down almost ten percent from July. Officials stressed that slower does not mean safe, only that emergency mitigations and drier weather likely helped reduce the pace in some locations.

The science community has long warned that Southern California’s coastal slopes are prone to landslides, especially after long rains and during El Niño conditions. The United States Geological Survey notes that slope saturation, groundwater changes, and wave attack can work together to destabilize coastal bluffs. Those mechanics fit what residents saw: heavy storms soaked the hillsides, the slide sped up, and then partial drainage and time brought limited relief. Crews continue monitoring because new storms can quickly reset the risk.

What Comes Next: Safety First, Targeted Fixes, Accountable Spending

City managers plan stepwise utility restoration as ground data supports it, while engineers expand drainage and refine maps of the deeper slide plane revealed by 2024 drilling. Leaders are weighing slope grading, toe protection, and drainage upgrades that federal experts recommend for unstable hillsides. Every decision carries real costs. Residents expect dollars to go to proven fixes, not pet projects. Clear metrics, frequent reports, and strict oversight can keep spending focused and results driven.

For conservative readers, the lesson is simple: government must act fast, tell the truth, and use methods that work. The record shows action that matched the hazard—temporary shutdowns, hard engineering, and steady field checks. The path ahead should stay practical: keep people safe, restore services only when conditions allow, and invest in drainage and slope support that reduce long-term risk. That approach respects property, protects families, and spends taxpayer money where it makes a measurable difference.