A total of 135 homes in Ranchos Palos Verdes had their gas shut off Monday due to an ongoing landslide.
SoCalGas cites “worsening land movement” as the main reason why it is unsafe to continue providing natural gas service to the homes in the Portuguese Bend neighborhood.
“We regret this unexpected disruption of service,” SoCalGas said Monday morning. “This dynamic situation requires we take immediate action to protect public safety.”
KTLA 5’s Annie Rose Ramos pointed out a large crack in the road on Narcissa Drive on Monday, where two signs had also completely shifted off the now-decayed roadway.
In a community update issued Sunday, the city of Ranchos Palos Verdes confirmed the shutoff and noted that officials “repeatedly requested” SoCalGas to give residents more time to prepare, but the gas company said it was “unsafe to do so.”
Residents were warned of the indefinite shutdown on Friday, and according to city officials, Friday was the day they learned of the shutdown too.
“The city just found out about this on Friday along with the residents at the same time,” Rancho Palos Verdes Mayor John Cruikshank said. “So, nobody’s been given a lot of time and the city is obviously disappointed in the short timeframe; we don’t feel that’s a sufficient amount of time to make arrangements to convert some of their hot water heaters…[residents are] not able to take hot showers or cook food, and it becomes a situation where you cannot live in your home.”
The shutoff started at 9 a.m. Monday when the natural gas remaining in the community’s pipeline network was removed. Residents are advised by SoCalGas that they may smell natural gas during the process.
On Tuesday, technicians will visit each of the 135 impacted homes to safely turn off the natural gas service at the meter.
Residents are instructed not to attempt to restore service or connect alternative fuels like propane to the natural gas meter, as doing so is unsafe.
A community outreach booth will be available at the corner of Fruit Tree Road and Narcissa Drive on Monday and Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
As of 11 a.m., no gas leaks had been reported. SoCalGas is offering a $2,500 voucher for affected residents to get new appliances or switch from gas to electric
More information from SoCalGas on the land movement can be found here.
