Gas shutoff set for dozens of homes in Rolling Hills due to continued land movement
ROLLING HILLS, Calif. (KABC) -- The landslide that has cut off utility services to residents in Rancho Palos Verdes is now threatening a neighboring city. People in parts of Rolling Hills are preparing to lose gas service Monday.
The Southern California Gas Company says it will cut off service to 34 homes due to recent land movement that has damaged homes, roads and utility lines in the area. Gas service is expected to be cut around 3 p.m.
Meanwhile, SoCal Edison is planning to shut off power to some 51 homes by 6 p.m. Wednesday.
"This means (the) affected resident's power could be shut off at any time. SCE is responsible for notifying customers of their service status," the city of Rolling Hills said on its website. "Given the dynamic situation, residents are urged to contact the utility providers directly to determine the status of utility services."
Charlie Raine is one of the affected gas and power customers in Rolling Hills. He told Eyewitness News his impacted neighbors are upset and scrambling to prepare for the shutoffs.
His biggest concern is his elderly neighbors.
"There's a lot of people that are dealing with this, and it's overwhelming for them," he said. "I'm somewhat capable of doing this for myself, certainly, and I feel sort of obligated to help other people try and get through this."
Raine added that everybody is preparing for alternatives, which include propane and solar energy.
This comes after the same utility services were cut off for dozens of nearby homes in the Portuguese Bend area of Rancho Palos Verdes. Some frustrated residents there said they would remain in their homes despite the shutoffs.
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in the city in an effort to free up state resources to assist in the response.
L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn announced that she is transferring $5 million in discretionary funds from her office to the city of Rancho Palos Verdes. For weeks, Hahn has been urging state and federal officials to help with the ongoing crisis.
It's unclear if Newsom's and Hahn's efforts will extend to Rolling Hills.
"The safety and well-being of our residents remains the City's top priority. We are all impacted by the outages and are committed to holding the utility companies accountable - pushing them to implement solutions that will restore services both quickly and safely," Rolling Hills Mayor Leah Mirsch said in a statement.
