SoCal Gas begins work to restore natural gas services to residents in Rancho Palos Verdes
After nearly a year of not having natural gas, residents can see the finish line getting closer. In July 2024, the utility company SoCal Gas cut off natural gas service to the Portuguese Bend community of Rancho Palos Verdes after continued land movement in the area.
In September 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in the area, saying severe storms had significantly accelerated land movement to an average of 9 to 12 inches per week. The city also declared a local emergency and issued evacuation warnings urging residents to gather important documents and items.
Last summer, Mayor John Cruikshank said he was worried the gas service would be the first domino to fall, a prediction that ended up being correct.
Crews were seen Friday morning digging into the ground so they can install new equipment and infrastructure. Once they complete that, they will go door to door and start restoring natural gas service to homes. There are some properties in the areas that were red or yellow tagged and are too badly damaged to have service restored.
SoCal Gas said there are about 22 customers who should get their services back by July. A spokesperson from the utility company said thy are doing upgrades to make sure they're able to adjust to changing conditions.
"We're installing automatic shutoff valves, monitoring, reassessing and figure out where to go from there," Brian Haas, a SoCal Gas spokesperson, said.
Unfortunately, there are still hundreds of homeowners in Rancho Palos Verdes who are dealing with the ongoing land movement. Some people have chosen to leave, taking advantage of a $42 million voluntary buyout program from FEMA and the state of California. SoCal Gas has said it does appear the land movement has slowed in some areas like Seaview, Portuguese Bend Beach Club and Rolling Hills. Crews will continue monitoring other areas to see if it's safe to bring back utilities there too.
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