Landslide damages historic Casa Romantica in San Clemente, halts rail service in area

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. (KABC) -- A landslide beneath part of the Casa Romantica Cultural Center in San Clemente sent dirt and debris cascading down a hillside Thursday, heavily damaging the center's concrete terrace and shutting down all rail service in the area.

Transportation officials say the landslide shut down train service running from the Inland Empire to Orange County, as well as from Orange County to Oceanside in San Diego County.

The slide also prompted leaders to red-tag both Casa Romantica and a nearby apartment building, displacing hundreds of residents.

"We've had so much rain. Unprecedented amounts of rain in the last several months that these hillsides are very unstable," said Katrina Foley, an Orange County Supervisor. "This area here was being monitored for 10 days and every day, a little bit of landslide slippage, and so we really are hoping that it doesn't drop any further."

The city began closely monitoring the area about two weeks ago, when they had to close the patio after a crack appeared. The city had just agreed to spend $75,000 dollars to study and assess its stability.

Casa Romantica was advised by the city to temporarily close and cancel upcoming events until further notice due to the landslide.

"The safety and well-being of our guests, patrons, volunteers and staff remain our top priority," Casa Romantica executive director Amy Behrens said in a statement. "We appreciate everyone's understanding and we will keep you updated on the status of re-opening and the rescheduling of events."

The landslide comes just a day after San Clemente officials agreed to spend $75,000 to study and assess the stability of the steep cliff that Casa Romantica is built on.

City News Service contributed to this report.